RAISING GEESE, 215 
ness, and prolificness are concerned, the Toulouse and 
Embden are superior to all other sorts, and mature early, 
The common gray goose possesses the markings of its 
parent, the wild goose of Europe and Asia, known in 
England as the ‘‘Gray Lag.” The fine variety known 
as the Toulouse has the same colors, except that the dark 
plumage is of much richer hues, and, by contrast at least, 
the light feathers whiter, while the bill and legs are of a 
deep orange color. The Toulouse geese early develop a 
deep-hanging fold of skin, pendent, like the keel of a 
boat, beneath the body. The evidence that the breed 
originated in the vicinity of Toulouse, in France, is 
meagre. Nevertheless, we cannot countenance the sug- 
gestion that they received their name because their skin 
was too loose for them. The first of the variety which 
were seen in England came, it is said, from Marseilles, 
in the south of France. Those purchased probably came 
‘rom Toulouse to Marseilles, for this name is applied to 
ao distinct variety in France. 
Toulouse geese, when not inordinately forced for ex- 
hibition, are hardy, early layers, and reasonably prolific, 
often raising two broods of goslings a year. The young 
early take care of themselves on good pasture, and grow 
with astonishing rapidity. It is not well to let them 
depend wholly upon grass, but at first to give a little 
wet-up oatmeal daily, and afterwards a few oats or hand- 
fuls of barley, thrown intoa trough or shallow pool to 
which they have access. These fine fowls attain, on a 
good grass range, nearly double the weight of common 
geese, and, forced by high feeding, a pair have been known 
to reach the weight of sixty pounds. Twenty-pound 
geese are not rare. Early goslings, if well fed, will at- 
tain that weight at Christmas. The fact is, that com- 
mon geese make a poor show upon the table unless they 
are very fat. This is distasteful to many persons, and 
they can hardly be very fat before the late autumn, be- 
