CAPONIZING FOWLS. 227 



rally possessing combs, it will surely be, found, at the very most, 

 sufficient to cut the tail feathers down to a stump. In some parts of 

 the continent, the caponizers resort to still more unnecessary brutality. 

 They cut off the spurs of the poor caponized bird, and making an 

 incision in its comb, as it were plant them in it ; they are so held for 

 about twenty minutes in short, just until the blood coagulates ; they 

 then become not merely permanently adherent, but actually grow. 

 The less, however, said about these very, and needlessly inhuman 

 practices, the better. 



To return to our more immediate subject: The process having been 

 performed as above described, the bird is placed in a warm house, 

 where there are no perches, as, if such appliances were present, the 

 newly-made capon might very probably injure himself in his attempts 

 to perch, and perhaps even tear open the sutures, and possibly occasion 

 the operation, usually simple and free from danger, to terminate 

 fatally. For about a week, the food of the bird should be soft oat- 

 meal porridge, and that in small quantities, alternated with bread 

 steeped in milk ; he may be given as much pure water as he will drink, 

 but I recommend that 'it be tepid, or at least, that the chill be taken 

 off it. At the end of a week, or, at the farthest, ten days, the bird, 

 if he has been previously of a sound, vigorous constitution, will be 

 all right, and may be turned out into the walk common to all your 

 fowls. 



CHINESE MODE OF MAKING CAPONS. The Chinese, who are very 

 expert in the art of making capons, use the following method : The 

 wings of the fowl being folded back till they meet, the left foot of the 

 operator is placed on them, the fowl being laid on its left side. The 

 great toe of the right foot is placed on its legs ; the feathers are then 

 plucked off by the side ; an incision, about an inch in length, com- 

 mencing about an inch from the back-bone, and extending obliquely 

 downwards, is made with a knife, the cutting part of which is beveled 

 to a point, like a dissecting scalpel. This incision is carefully carried 

 through the skin, muscles, and membranes, till the intestines are laid 

 bare, while flat, blunt hooks, are put into the incision, which is 

 extended and kept open by the elasticity of a bamboo or whale-bone ; 

 the intestines are then pushed aside with a pair of forceps, which are , 

 used to lay hold of the stone, when it is by this means brought into 

 view, while there is passed over it, through a bamboo or elder tube, a 

 horse-hair, which is drawn backwards and forwards through the tube 

 till the spermatic chord is cut through ; the stone is then scooped out. 

 The other stone is removed in the same manner. No blood issues 

 from the spermatic chords, nor does the animal appear to feel pain. 

 The hooks are then removed, the wound is closed up, the feathers 

 which have been plucked off are stuck upon the wound with the 

 blood, and the wing being put down on it, the animal walks off as if 

 nothing had happened. Young cocks, three months old, are made 

 choice of for the operation, which must, if possible, be performed 

 before July, as it has been remarked that capons made later than this, 

 never prove fine. Dickson. 



