FLORIDA POULTRY. 293 



forth will waste do unnecessary time before giving " straw 

 bail " for good behavior. 



Ducklings must not be permitted to get in the water, not 

 even in their drinking - dishes, until two weeks old, and 

 then not for over half an hour at a time, unless their 

 feathers are well grown, otherwise they will die of cramp. 



The best breeds for profit are the Aylesbury, Rouen, 

 Pekin, Muscovy, and the common duck. 



There is no reason why the goose should not do well in 

 Florida, and yield a handsome profit, both as regards feath- 

 ers and flesh. 



Three geese to one gander is the rule, if sturdy goslings 

 are desired. Nests should be prepared especially for them, 

 two feet six inches square, and one for each bird, since 

 where a goose lays her first egg there will she continue to 

 lay them thenceforth. 



The eggs should be set so as to hatch in cool weather, for 

 warm weather does not agree with goslings at all ; from 

 thirty to thirty-four days are required for the hatching. 

 The goose, like the turkey, is a very steady setter, but 

 should be made to leave the nest each day and take a bath. 

 Be careful, too, to see that at all times a good supply of 

 food and water is in reach, for, if neglected, the goose (who 

 is no "goose" after all), will take care of herself by eat- 

 ing her eggs one by one. 



The gander is not at all like the wicked old turk whose 

 unfatherly conduct we have just noticed ; he is a very dif- 

 ferent sort of fellow, and while his wives are on nest 

 duty he need not be deprived of their society ; on the con- 

 trary, they seem to delight in his presence, and he sits con- 

 tentedly for hours by the nests, evidently taking a deep 

 interest in the future hopes hidden away beneath their 

 downy bosoms, and sometimes steps into the nest and care- 

 fully covers the eggs while its proper occupant is feeding. 



