140 MRS. BASLEY'S WESTERN POULTRY BOOK 



found on my small ranch where there was only water piped in, 

 after trying various plans for watering the ducks, an easy and con- 

 venient way. I had a barrel sawed in two, two-thirds and one- 

 third. I knocked the head out of the larger end and buried that 

 part, making it deep enough so the top of the barrel was just below 

 the ground ; any box with no bottom would do as well. The one- 

 third of the barrel had a bunghole in the bottom. This one-third 

 barrel I placed over the sunken one. I had a broom handle which 

 fitted into the bunghole and every day I let the dirty water run 

 through it into the bottomless barrel and it soaked away. In this 

 manner I gave my ducks fresh water and a clean bath every day. 

 I found if I sawed the barrel exactly in half, it made the top part 

 deeper than I wanted, and the bottom not deep enough. 



GOODACRE'S PRIZE WHITE INDIAN RUNNER DUCKS. 



The Varieties 



I have successfully bred the following most popular breeds of 

 ducks and think a slight review of them may be interesting and 

 helpful to beginners : The Aylesbury, Pekin, Indian Runner, Buff 

 Orpington Duck and the Muscovy. 



The Aylesbury 



The Aylesbury, called after a town in Buckingham, England, are 

 about a pound heavier than the Pekin. The standard weights be- 

 ing, drake, 9 Ibs. ; duck, 8 Ibs. ; young drake, 8 Ibs. ; young duck. 7 

 Ibs. Their color is pure white, with pinkish-white beak and shanks. 

 They are extremely popular in England and are hardy and vigorous. 

 There are not many breeders of them in this country, but an Eng- 

 lishman, Mr. V- G. Huntley of Petaluma, who has imported some 

 exceedingly fine Aylesbury ducks from England, says he has a 

 large demand for them, as they are a rarity in this country. He 

 considers their flesh better than that of any other variety of ducks. 

 In plumage the Aylesbury are a pure spotless white, with hard, 



