THE DUCK. 



eat hemlock, bnt I believe that both the yoiang and old hayp 

 been occasionally killed by swallowing slips of yew. 



" The young becoming pretty well feathered will also be too 

 large to be contained or brooded beneath the mother's wings, 

 and will then sleep in groups by her side, and must be supplied 

 with good and renewed straw beds, which they convert into 

 excellent dung. Being now able to frequent the pond, and 

 range the common at large, the young geese will obtain their 

 living, and fe\y people, favourably situated, allow them any- 

 thing more except the vegetable produce of the garden. 



" It has, however, been my constant practice always to dis- 

 pense a moderate quantity of any solid corn or pulse at hand, 

 both morning and evening, and the going out and returning of 

 the geese, together with such greens as happened to be at 

 conuband : cabbage, mangold leaves, lucerne, tares, and, occa- 

 sionally, sliced carrots and turnips. By such full-keeping our 

 geese were ever in a fleshy state, and attained a large size. 



" Geese managed after the above mode will be speedily 

 fattened green, that is, at a month or six weeks old, or after 

 the run of the corn stubble. Two or three weeks after the 

 latter must be sufficient to make them thoroughly fat ; indeed, 

 I prefer a goose fattened entirely in the stubbles, granting 

 it to have been previously in good case, and be fuU-fed in the 

 field. But when needful to fatten them, the feeding-houses 

 already recommended are most convenient. With clean and re- 

 newed beds of straw, and plenty of clean water ; oats, crushed 

 or otherwise, pea or bean -meal or poUard; the articles mixed 

 up with skimmed milk, where the article can be obtained, wUl 

 fatten geese pleasantly and speedily. Very little greens of 

 any kind should be given to fattening geese as being too laxa- 

 tive, and occasioning them to throw off their corn too quickly ; 

 whence their flesh wiU prove less substantial and of inferior 



flavour. ' It may be added, that oat-meal, or pea-meal 



mixed with oatmeal, form an excellent feeding article for ducks 

 and geese." 



DISEASES OE POULTKT AND THEIB, CUBE. 



Amo!ig the chief diseases to which poultry of all kinds are 

 liable may be mentioned the following : — 



Inflammation of the rump-gland or ro««p.— Let the swelling 

 be opened by a lancet, and the matter gently squeezed out ; 

 afterwards foment well with warm water ; put the bird upon 

 a diet of oatmeal and green vegetables, and, if necessary, give 



