:fattening fowls in France. sn 



orifice enters the crop, and the food is spooned therein 

 until the crop is full, when the funnel is withdrawn. 

 The quality of flesh produced in this manner is splen- 

 did, and I am glad to say that these funnels can be 

 purchased at a reasonable price in this country, as 

 they are simple in use and effective. 



Fourth : Cramming by machine. — Several machines 

 are made in France similar to the " Hearson " already 

 described, and their use is increasing ; but it is un- 

 necessary to refer to them in detail. These observa- 

 tions would, however, be incornplete without reference 

 to the Odile-Martin system, as adopted at the Jardin 

 d' Acclamation, Paris, and elsewhere, of which an illus- 

 tration is here given (Fig. 12). A huge revolving cage, 

 holding 210 birds, is employed, built in five tiers, and 

 fitted with a lift, capable of being raised to any tier 

 by the operator. In the lift is placed the " crammer," 

 and as each bird is fed, a turn of the cage brings 

 another into Une. When the row is finished, the lift 

 is raised to that above, and so on until all the work 

 is done. 



The times of feeding and rules observed are prac- 

 tically the same as narrated in the previous chapter, 

 and need not be repeated. We may mention that in 

 some establishments where liquid food is used, a mix- 

 ing machine is employed for its proper preparation. 

 In the La Bresse country, buckwheat and maize-meals 

 are largely employed for fattening, whilst in Normandy 

 barley-meal is regarded with great favour. At the 

 Eouillier-Amoult establishment, near Houdan (Seine- 

 et-Oise), the food for fattening consists of fine barley- 

 meal, thoroughly sifted, sometimes varied by fine 



