178 THE PRACTICAL SIDE OF 



high prices in London and other cities in 

 the early season. The birds are mated in 

 November, they commence to lay in Decem- 

 ber, and the eggs are hatched under hens and 

 reared in groups of twenty to thirty until 

 they are fit for sale. Many of the cleverest 

 breeders of ducklings prefer large White 

 Pekin ducks which they mate with a young, 

 well-bred Aylesbury, which has a flesh- 

 coloured bill, and, as a natural consequence, 

 delicately-coloured skin, which is an indica- 

 tion of the quality of the meat. Size is secured 

 by the Pekins, which are large and which lay 

 large eggs, and it wdll be found that the size 

 of the duckling depends largely upon the size 

 of the egg. During cold weather the birds 

 are kept in small compartments, sanded or 

 covered with straw in an outhouse which is 

 artificially warmed, one of the best methods 

 being to place a stove in the centre and to 

 turn the newly-hatched ducklings into a 

 compartment which is close to it, removing 

 them back to other compartments as their 

 places are taken by new batches of young 

 ones. In this way they are gradually 

 hardened off, until, reaching the compart- 

 ment near the wall which is farthest from the 

 stove, they become fit for removal into 



