244 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



pome carriage ; and is not troubled with a constant 

 quacking, like other ducks. It originated in Eng- 

 land, where it is highly esteemed as a prolific layer 

 and for the whiteness of its flesh, on w hich account 

 it always commands the highest price in the mar- 

 kets. It is very fond of wandering away from 

 home and taking a peep at outside shows. On the 

 whole, it is deservedly a favorite. 



THEIR MANAGEMENT. 

 Ducks are less troublesome to take care of than 

 any other poultry. During the summer they may 

 be left pretty much to take their own way, and 

 should have a pond or trough of water to wash 

 themselves in. They are very careless about their 

 eggs, and during the laying season re(iuire to be 

 shut up at night, in some outhouse or shed, where 

 they can have free access to nest boxes, open in 

 front, and not be let out in the morning till they 

 have dropped their eggs. A good layer will drop 

 100 eggs in the season, if not allowed to take 

 to sitting too early. "When they have nearly 

 completed laying their complement of eggs, they 

 will go off into the fields or woods, and form nests 

 f(>r themselves, in which they will lay from ten to 

 fifteen eggs, cover them assiduously, and not make 

 tlieir appearance again till the young ducks are 

 hatched. A duck will take care of a great many 

 more ducklings than she can hatch ; therefore it is 

 well to h:\ve some of the eggs put under hens, and, 

 when hatched, an old duck, or even a drake, will 

 readily take charge of the young birds along with 

 their own brood. They should be shut up in a 

 coop or small yard for a week or two after hatch- 

 ing their young, as it is decidedly injurious to 

 allow the young ducklings to get to water for 

 some time after they are hatched. They should 

 have no more water at first than is necessary to 

 quench their thirst. They should never have raw 

 food when very young. Oatmeal poiTidge, or 

 boiled potatoes mixed with boiled hominy or corn 

 meal, are excellent. If livers or lights can be pro- 

 cured, boiled and chopped fine, they are the best 

 food for ducklings. 



Their greatest enemies, when young, are cats, 

 rats, skunks, and crows; and if they escape all 

 these, there is no fear but they will thrive. After 

 they are two weeks old they may be allowed to 

 run to water; and by the time they are four 

 months old, and have had tlie gleanings of the hay 

 and harvest fields, to get plenty of grasshoppers 

 and grubs, they will be fit for the table of an epi- 

 cure ; and longer than that there is no necessity to 

 keep them, unless for breeding, nor is the flesh of 

 a full grown duck so fine flavored and juicy as that 

 of a young bird. 



In keeping them over winter, they should not 

 be allowed to get their feet frozen by remaining 

 out in the snow all night, nor be kept with other 

 poultry, but rather have a place of their own, well 

 supplied with straw and water, or be allowed to 

 run under the barn, care being taken to keep out 

 old red bushy tail, alias Reynard, and his confreres 

 Mister Weasel and Master Skunk, the latter two 

 of whom, however, would probably have a tough 

 fight for it, should they attack the older birds. 



NOTES FOa THE MONTH -BY S. W. 



The Pennsylvania Central Railroad. — In my 

 last notes, adverting to the sharp competition of 

 this through railroad for the Cliicago and other 

 western freight, I said that such a ruinous contest 

 by tliat mountain road could not last long without 

 baukru])ting the road itself. One short month has 

 hardly transpired, when the managers of this Penn- 

 sylvania Central road announce iheir inability to 

 ))ay tlie July interest on the bonds of the Fort 

 V/ayne and Chicago railroad, a part of its now con- 

 solidated line from Philadelphia to Chicago; but, 

 with true railroad logic, the managers propose to 

 overcome tliis difliculty by issuing more bonds! 

 The repudiation of this road, Avhicli has been sup- 

 posed to be in a sounder condition than the other 

 lines, clearly proves that no road can withdraw the 

 tide of freight from the great national highway to 

 and from the great west, the lakes and the New 

 York canal in summer, and by the Canadian and 

 New York railroads in winter. 



Waterloo Horse Fair and Trotti>:g. — Perhaps 

 the greatest exposition of fine Jiorses, with prize 

 trotting, lias lately come off at Wright's unique 

 fair grounds, Waterloo, tliat has ever yet been wit- 

 nessed at a fair in a Western New York village. 

 Breeding mares and colts, two and tln-ee year old 

 colts, single horses and mares, stallions, draft teams 

 and matched horses, of the best pedigree and train- 

 ing, were here exhibited, doing great credit for 

 equine excellence, not only to our Seneca county 

 farmers, but to the farmers, horse breeders, and horse 

 fanciers of the neigliboring counties. Very liberal 

 premiums were promptly i)aid on award for the 

 best animals j^resented at the Mncours, according 

 to their extra-merits in appearance, training and 

 service. Jos. Wright took the higliest premium, 

 $20, for the best stallion, and also tlie higliest for 

 mares with colts; N. Kklsky, of Auburn, took the 

 first premium for single horses; II. Kii'P, of Fay- 

 ette, the first i)rize for single mares; N. Chenev, 

 of Canandaigua, the first prize for matched liorsea; 

 and a great many smaller premiums were declared 

 for fine animals, both matched and single, very 

 much to the encouragement t)f farmers generaily 

 to pay more and more attention to tlie improve- 

 ment of their equine stock. 



But the great exciting interest of the fair that 

 brought so many thousands together, jjarticularly 

 on Saturday, the last day, was the trotting. The 

 first heat of the course was for $35, in two purses, 

 $25 and $10, open to 4 year old colts, in harness, 

 best three in live, mile heats. The first heat was 

 I won by "Grey Eagle," owned by D. Cuttekbaok, 



