428 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



destructive in the garden. Their flesh is coarse and dark, 

 and they are worthless as layers. The brilliant silvery green 

 and their ever-varying colors, gives place to an entire white, 

 in one of the varieties. 



The Guinea hen is a native of Africa and the southern part 

 of Asia where it abounds in its wild state. Most of them are 

 beautifully and uniformly speckled; but occasionally, they are 

 white on the breast, like the Pintados of the W. I. Islands, 

 and some are entirely white. They are unceasingly garrulous, 

 and their excessively pugnacious character, renders them un- 

 comfortable inmates with the other poultry. Their flesh, 

 though high colored, is delicate and palatable, but like the pea- 

 cock, they are indifferent layers. Both are natives of a warm 

 climate, and the young are tender and rather difficult to rear. 

 Neither of these birds are general favorites, and we omit fur- 

 ther notice of them. 



THE GOOSE. 



There are many varieties of the goose. Main enumerates 

 twenty-two, most of which are wild ; and the tame are again 

 variously sub-divided. The common white and grey are the 

 most numerous and profitable. The white firemen is much 

 larger, often weighing over 20 Ibs. nctt. It is of a beautiful 

 snowy plumage, is domestic and reared without difficulty, 

 though not as prolific and hardy as the former. The China 

 goose is smaller than the grey, .and one of the most beautiful 

 of the family, possessing much of the gracefulness and gene- 

 ral appearance of the swan. It is prolific and tolerably hardy, 

 but has not thus far, been a successful rival with the first. 

 The Guinea or African goose is the largest of the species, 

 and equals the size of the swan, often dressing over 25 Ibs. 

 It is a majestic and graceful bird, and very ornamental to 

 water scenery. Several other varieties are domesticated in 

 the United States. 



BREEDING. Geese pair frequently at one year old, and 

 rear their young ; but with some kinds, especially of the wild, 

 this is deferred till two and sometimes three. They require 

 a warm, dry place for their nests, and when undisturbed, they 

 will sit steadily ; and if the eggs have not been previously 

 chilled or addled, they will generally hatch them all, if kept 

 on the nest. To insure this, it is sometimes necessary to 

 withdraw the first hatched, to prevent the old ones wander- 

 ing before all are out. They should be kept in a warm shel- 

 tered place till two or three weeks old if the weather be cold 



