30 Maize, Buckwheat, and Peas. 



that whole grain is the natural diet of fowls, and that 

 softer kinds of food are chiefly to be used for the first or 

 morning meal for fowls confined in houses (see p. 34), and 

 for those being fattened artificially in coops, where it is 

 desired to help the fowl's digestive powers, and to convert 

 the food into flesh as quickly as possible. 



Indian corn or maize, either whole or in meal, must not 

 be given in too great a proportion, as it is very fattening 

 from the large quantity of oil it contains ; but mixed with 

 barley or barley-meal, it is a most economical and useful 

 food. It is useful for a change, but is not a good food by 

 itself. It may be given once or twice a week, especially in 

 the winter, with advantage. From its size small birds 

 cannot eat it and rob the fowls. Whether whole or in 

 meal, the maize should be scalded, that the swelling may 

 be done before it is eaten. The yellow-coloured maize is not 

 so good as that which is reddish or rather reddish-brown. 



Buckwheat is about equal to barley in flesh-forming 

 food, and is very much used on the Continent. Mr. 

 Wright has "a strong opinion that the enormous pro- 

 duction of eggs and fowls in France is to some extent 

 connected with the almost universal use of buckwheat by 

 French poultry-keep ers." It is not often to be had cheap 

 in this country, but is hardy and may be grown anywhere 

 at little cost. Mr. Edwards says, he " obtained (without 

 manure) forty bushels to the acre, on very poor sandy soil, 

 that would not have produced eighteen bushels of oats. 

 The seed is angular in form, not unlike hempseed ; and is 

 stimulating, from the quantity of spirit it contains." 



Peas, beans, and tares contain an extraordinary quantity 

 of flesh-forming material, and very little of fat-forming, 

 but are too stimulating for general use, and would harden 

 the muscular fibres and give too great firmness of flesh to 

 fowls that are being fattened, but where tares are at a low 

 price, or peas or beans plentiful, stock fowls may be 

 advantageously fed upon any of these, and they may 

 be given occasionally to fowls that are being fattened. It 

 is better to give them boiled than in a raw state, especially 

 if they are hard and dry, and the beans in particular may 



