FATTENING DVCES. 109 



fatteners, or " duckers " as they are called, do not as 

 a rule keep breeding stock, but buy eggs from the 

 farmers in the district, who receive a considerable 

 benefit in this way. The amount of space taken up 

 by the actual rearing of the ducklings is very limited. 

 For instance, at Stanbridge, one ducker who kills 

 about 1,300 to 1,900 birds in the season, does all the 

 work upon what cannot be more than one-fourth of 

 an acre. At Eatonbray another ducker I have visited, 

 had last spring 2,000 ducklings in various stages of 

 growth, and from 200 to 300 hens sitting upon eggs. 

 This man has killed as many as 6,000 in a single 

 year. But this number is exceeded by a farmer at 

 Great Billington, who last year killed close upon 

 10,000 ducklings. Prom the evidence obtained it is 

 clear that whatever poultry keeping may be in other 

 parts of the country, the duckers of North Bucking- 

 hamshire and Bedfordshire find it a profitable business. 

 In a report by Mr. Aubrey Spencer to the Eoyal 

 Commission on Agriculture," relating to the condition 

 of agriculture in the Vale of Aylesbury, there is some 

 interesting information as to the duck-fattening in- 

 dustry in that district. It appears that the persons 

 who engage in duck-fattening in Aylesbury and the 

 surrounding villages are generally men of the labouring 

 class or small village tradesmen. The number of 

 ducklings reared and sold annually by individuals 

 varies from a few hundred to several thousands. 

 The ducks, which are always of the large, pure white, 



* " Eeport by Mr. Aubrey Spencer (Assistant Commissioner) 

 on the Vale of Aylesbiiry, and the county of Hertford." 

 London : Eyre and Spottiswoode. 



