APRIL 297 



or scraps, or anything that amuses them. It is very bad 

 for fowls to be dull. When we see a fowl not eating or 

 not looking well, we keep it apart for a day or two, give 

 it a dose of castor oil, and, if not soon better, we kill and 

 bury it;' I am sure this is a better plan than trying to 

 doctor sick birds. I know no more miserable sight than 

 unhealthy poultry. We rear a few ducks every year, 

 but kill them in the summer, as they are great consumers 

 of food. 



In October I always buy, as I have said before, three or 

 four young turkeys, and have them fed here for Christmas- 

 time. It saves three or four shillings on each bird. Any 

 fowls that are going to be killed ought to be shut up for 

 twelve hours without food. Turkeys and geese require 

 rather longer. Home-grown poultry is much better not 

 plucked or cleaned out till just before cooking. Very 

 young chickens are best eaten quite freshly killed. 



For Preserving- Eggs. Put some fresh eggs in 

 a large basin or jar and pour lime-water over them. 

 Two days after, take out the eggs and look through them 

 carefully. Put away those which are at all cracked. 

 Those which are quite in good condition put into a 

 second jarful of lime-water, and stand this jar in the 

 cellar. See that the eggs are always covered by the 

 lime-water. They will keep for quite six months or more. 

 The first jarful of lime-water can be used to try another 

 lot of eggs. 



This is another and even simpler way of preserving 

 eggs, which we find answers perfectly well here: Fill 

 a small shallow box deep enough to cover the eggs 

 cardboard does quite well with chaff. Put the fresh 

 eggs, just laid, into this with the points downwards. Tie 

 on the lid ; and when you have more than one box, they 

 can be tied together as they fill. The whole reason of 

 this plan is that the box should be reversed once every 



