EXTENT OF THE INDUSTRY 



Geese as Weed Destroyers. As stated before 

 geese are close grazers. In fact, during the growing 

 season of the year green vegetation forms most and 

 in some cases practically all of their diet. The vege- 

 tation which they will eat readily is quite varied and 

 in many cases geese will be found to be very valu- 

 able in ridding pastures or fields of troublesome 

 weeds. In the southern states geese are often kept 

 on farms where cotton is raised for the purpose of 

 keeping the cotton fields free from weeds. 



Objection to Geese 



An objection to geese often expressed but without 

 good foundation in that they will spoil the pasture 

 for other stock. This is not true if the pasture is not 

 overstocked with geese. Of course geese are very 

 close grazers and if too many of them are kept on a 

 field they will eat the grass down so close that there 

 will be none for other animals to get. Similarly the 

 idea that other animals will not eat grass grown 

 where goose droppings have fallen is not true except 

 where the birds are too thick so that the grass is 

 soiled badly by the droppings. 



The fact that geese are noisy creatures makes 

 them undesirable to some persons. It is true that 

 they make a good deal of noise and that their cry is 

 of a very hoarse, rasping character and to a person 

 with bad nerves they may be annoying but this is 

 no valid or weighty objection to the normal, healthy 



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