GEESE. 351 



which will rear seven ; so that, at the end of the year, if 

 fortunate in rearing, he will be possessed of seven thousand. 

 During the breeding season, these birds are lodged in the 

 same houses with their owners, and even in their bed- 

 chambers ; three rows of wicker pens are placed one above 

 another in every department ; each Goose having its separate 

 lodge divided from the others, of which it keeps possession 

 during the time of sitting. A person called a gozzard 

 attends the flock, and twice a day drives the whole to water, 

 then brings them back to their habitations, helping those 

 that live in the upper stories to their nests, without ever 

 misplacing a single bird. They are, as we have observed in 

 treating of Feathers (p. 67), plucked frequently, we believe 

 not less than five times a year ; the first plucking being on 

 Lady-day, for feathers and quills ; the remaining pluckings, 

 between that time and Michaelmas, being for feathers only. 

 The old Geese submit with tolerable patience to this barba- 

 rous operation, but the young ones are noisy and unruly. 

 Even goslings of six weeks old are not spared ; their tails 

 being plucked, as it is said, to habituate them to future 

 plucking. 



When ready for the London market, flocks, from two 

 to nine thousand in number, are sent off, travelling slowly 

 from three in the morning until nine at night, during which 

 time they will accomplish, on an average, about eight or ten 

 miles. 



Those who live near commons can turn the rearing of a 

 few Geese to good account, and might reap still greater 

 advantages if they paid due attention. If well kept, a 

 Goose will lay not far short of one hundred eggs a year. 

 The French, who understand the management of poultry 

 much better than we do, put their Goose-eggs under large 

 hens of common fowls, in the proportion of from four to 

 five eggs to each ; and under Turkeys, to which they give 

 nine or ten. When the Goslings are hatched, they are kept 

 in a warm place for about four or five days, and fed on 

 barley-meal, mixed, if possible, with milk, and then they 

 will begin to graze. 



