Geese. 149 



over which the gulls or goslings are dragged by the goose, 

 until they become cramped or tired, some of them squatting 

 down and remaining behind at evening." All the hemlock 

 or deadly nightshade within range should be destroyed. 

 When the corn is garnered the young geese may be turned 

 into the stubble which they will thoroughly glean, and 

 many of them will be in fine condition by Michaelmas. 

 Green geese are young geese fattened at about the age of 

 four months, usually on oatmeal and peas, mixed with 

 skim-milk or butter-milk, or upon oats or other grain, and 

 are very delicate. In fattening geese for Christmas give 

 oats mixed with water for the first fortnight, and after- 

 wards barleymeal made into a crumbling porridge. They 

 should be allowed to bathe for a few hours before being 

 killed, for they are then plucked more easily and the 

 feathers are in better condition. Their feathers, down, 

 and quills are very valuable. 



Geese are very destructive to all garden and farm crops, 

 as well as young trees, and must therefore be carefully: 

 kept out of orchards and plantations. Their dung, though 

 acrid and apt to injure at first, will, when it is mellowed, 

 much enrich the ground. 



The Toulouse or Grey Goose is very large, of uniform 

 grey plumage, with long neck, having a kind of dewlap 

 under the throat ; the abdominal pouch very much deve- 

 loped, almost touching the ground ; short legs ; flat feet ; 

 short, broad tail ; and very upright carriage, almost like a 

 penguin. The Toulouse lays a large number of eggs, some- 

 times as many as thirty, and even more, but rarely wishes 

 to sit, and is a very bad mother. 



The Emden or pure White is very scarce. The bill is 

 flesh-colour, and the legs and feet orange. They require a 

 pond. The Toulouse, crossed with the large white or dark- 

 coloured common breed, produces greater weight than 

 either, and the objection to the former as indifferent sitters 

 and mothers is avoided ; but is not desirable for breeding 

 stock, and must have a pond like the White. 



