210 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



Scoop out tho earth the shape of a basin, and cement it two 

 inches thick, and the pond in made. Some breeders do not let 

 them go into the water, having only a little to drink, but pure 

 water will not hurt them. Barley and Indian meal mixed with 

 scraps is very good food and will fatten them very early. 



Geese, the same as all other poultry when young, should 

 be kept warm. They do not require much water. They are 

 raised on the Western prairies very successfully, with only a little 

 to drink. They thrive very well in a good pasture in the sum- 

 mer, without any other feed. 



Some farmers and others commence with a very fine stock of 

 poultry and in a very few years they are a sorry looking mess. 

 Among tlie most prominent reasons for this is breeding in a 

 hap-hazard manner, without any regard to breeding from the 

 best, breeding in and in (this should not be done more than 

 one year), want of good keeping, want of good management, 

 and excessive use of the male bird. Bad keeping, want of pure 

 water, exposures, bad management of any kind, are causes of 

 degeneracy. To improve poultry they must be well but not too 

 highly fed, well watered, and managed every way for the pro- 

 motion of their health and comfort. 



Joseph R. Presho, Chairman. 



BRISTOL CENTRAL. 



From the Report of the Committee. 



We would again call the attention of exhibitors to the neces- 

 sity of having proper coops or cages. Some of these were really 

 disgraceful, and we think if they had been exhibited in New York, 

 the president of the society for the prevention of cruelty to 

 animals (Mr. Bcrgh) would have been justified in entering a 

 complaint. It requires but a small expenditure of time, money 

 or ingenuity to construct a coop which will comfortably hold 

 and exhibit the birds which it contains. It may be said that in 

 the country lumber is often difficult to be obtained, but some of 

 the coops had slats so broad that two coops might have been 

 made from the material wasted in constructing one poor abor- 

 tion, so miserable that it was cruelty to keep fowls shut up in it 

 for forty-eight hours. 



On the other hand, the Committee would speak in words of 



