186 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Such fowls are often crammed, an operation to which 

 fowls readily, not to say cheerfully, submit. This is done 

 by having the soft feed, such as I have just named, of such 

 a consistency that it can be formed into masses called 

 " crams," as large round and half as long as one's finger. 

 These are dipped one at a time into milk or water, and 

 dropped into the mouth of the chicken, which is held open 

 to receive it. The mouth is readily opened by pressing the 

 sides of the bill between the thumb and finger. The chicken 

 usually swallows the crams if they are not made too large ; 

 but it does not seem to object to having the morsel aided in 

 its downward course by the little finger, or by gentle pres- 

 sure upon the gullet. Crammed fowls are fed morning and 

 evening only ; kept, a number together, in slatted coops ; 

 never fed if any of the previous meal remains in the crop, 

 and, if well fed, will be fat in two weeks. Chickens thus 

 artificially fattened are very attractive on the market stands. 

 Fashion, in England and France, favors white-fleshed fowls, 

 and the theory is that white feed (rice, milk, tallow, barley 

 meal, etc.) makes white flesh. This may in some way aflect 

 the appearance, but I doubt if it aflects the color of the 

 flesh and skin perceptibly. In this country yellow-skinned 

 fowls are preferred. This much I know, that the flavor of 

 such poultry does not compare with that of those which 

 have an open-air run, and pick up their own food. The 

 practice of cramming is one to be deprecated. It is not 

 economical, and improves neither the nutritive quality nor 

 the flavor of the flesh. The attractive appearance of the 

 dressed fowls is, no doubt, in part due to their having taken 

 no exercise for several daj^s, but more to the perfect way in 

 which they are killed, dressed and displayed. 



Fattening fowls should not have a large run. They 

 should have free opportunity to stand in the sunshine, to 

 dust themselves to their heart's content, to scratch and run 

 about. They should have pure water to drink, and pulver- 

 ized charcoal should be part of their regular diet, it being 

 mixed with their soft feed every two or three days, in quan- 

 tity enough to blacken it somewhat. The charcoal should 

 be of all-sized pieces, from that of wheat grains down to 

 dust. Its effect is to regulate digestion and the bowels, to 



