FATTENING DUCKS. 117 



probably something is due to the operator who under- 

 stands his machines, knows just how they should be 

 treated — and does it. 



So far as the ordinary breeding ducks are concerned 

 there is not much to say respecting them, as they are 

 almost entirely of the Aylesbury type, though we 

 thought here and there could be noted a trace of 

 Pekin blood, but that is scarcely to be wondered at 

 when there is so much about. The Aylesbury, as 

 elsewhere, is found to be the most easily fatted, and 

 their quality of rapid maturity is again evidenced. 



In the Bucks and Beds duck-feeding centres large 

 quantities of tallow greaves are used for mixing with 

 meal to feed the birds, but Mr. Walsh adopts another 

 system, and so far as the results are concerned with 

 evident advantage. His food consists chiefly of ground 

 oats, but instead of the tallow greaves he obtains from 

 pork butchers in the neighbouring town, Blackpool, 

 their surplus fat, for which he pays them one penny 

 per pound, and there can be no question that this is 

 much finer and better than the scrap cake from candle 

 makers and tallow refiners ; while the cost is, if any- 

 thing, rather less. He knows what he is getting, which 

 is not always the case with the other stuff. It, how- 

 ever, has to be prepared, and is melted in a boiler kept 

 for the purpose, and when strained is run into large 

 bacon- boxes. We may mention that the Sussex 

 chicken fatteners use fat very similar to this, and 

 when sweet and good it can be thoroughly recom- 

 mended. The ground oats and fat are mixed to a 

 proper consistency, and fed to the ducklings twice or 

 thrice a day, and as their main object seems to be 



