268 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR 
keep diy. An oleagenous substance is spread over their 
feathers, from which the water glides oiF instantaneously 
and leaves the birds dry during all weathers. Not so 
with the young of the domesticated duck. Owing either 
to the confinement of numbers in a small space, where 
their down becomes ruffled and displaced, or to their not 
being able to procure that kind of food which in the wild 
state is favorable to the secretion of that peculiar oil which 
is found contained in the glands of birds, and which serves 
lo lubricate their feathers and protect them from the wet, 
the down of the young tame duck soon becomes thorough 
]y wet and when this is once the case it is subject to vari- 
ous diseases and is difficult to raise. To accommodate the 
young duck to that artificial state into which it has been 
thrown by domestication, I found it necessary lo adopt 
some mode by which during the first few weeks of its life 
(the only time in which it requires much care) it might be 
preserved from the effects of that element, which in its na- 
tive state is almost its only residence and furnishes its sub- 
sistence. 
A little reflection enabled me to guard against the incon 
venienccs and dangers which result from this state of do 
lication. I had my coops built pretty large and tighly 
shingled, so as to be impervious to water. The young 
du^'ks were not let out in the morning dews till the sun 
had uti' I >he grass, and the vessels in which their water 
was placed were railed over so that they could drink by 
inserting their bills between those little railings, but were 
prevented from getting into the water. After following 
these simple directions with regard to their food and shel- 
ter, 1 found that, by a little attention of a servant, I could 
supply my table with ducks the whole year round— that I 
seldom lost one in twenty and that they were free from 
all diseases. I raised from 100 to 300 ducks per year, 
and now found that they were the easiest of all poultry to 
raise. I communicated the result of my experiments to 
my friends. Those of them who had the disposition, the 
patience and industry, followed my directions, and in 
every instance met with the same success; 1 have their 
assurance, that they can raise ducks in any numbers, and 
some of them have for the last two or three years supplied 
our markets with from three to five hundred ducks of the 
largest size and finest flavor. 
After having carried my readers through this, perhaps 
to them, tedious detail of experiments which cost me much 
time and attention, but for which I was more than repaid 
by the successful result, 1 shall now proceed to give, under 
different heads, such simple directions as will enable our 
planters and farmers to supply their tables with this kind 
of poultry, which might bean object to those who are in 
Ihe habit of supplying markets, 
1st. Tlie Species and Varieties of Duels best adapted to 
the purpose of Breed'>ng. — The only two species of ducks 
that are raised in this country are what are commonly 
called the English Duck and the Muscovy Duck. The 
English Duck is a descendant of the wild duck that visits 
us every winter in such numbers, called Mallard_ ; {Anas 
Boschas), is found also in Europe, and breeds in England, 
although not the largest, it is certainly among the finest 
flavored ducks in the world. The flavor of the famous 
Canvass Back Duck {Anas Vallisneria) that is found so 
numerous in the Chesapeake, and more recently in the 
Santee and at the mouth of the Savannah River, is, no 
doubt, superior to it, but it is supposed that this is owing 
lo the peculiar kind of root on which that bird feeds, be 
lieved to be the Vallisneria Americana, and that were it 
fed on common food its flavor would not be superior. The 
English Duck, which is so common in our yards, has from 
its long domestication, run into a number of varieiits 
which diflTer so much from each other as to appear like 
d»fferent species ; they are of differeat sizes, of a variety 
colors and some are tufted. The variety to which 1 
have usually given the preference, goes by the common, 
name of Madagascar Duck, is distinguished by its being 
of the largest size, having a pretty long neck and almost 
invariably a light streak above the eyes, and usually a 
small streak extending from the lower part of the upper 
mandible to below the eye. The Muscovy Duck {Ana,s- 
is another duck more recently introduced, but 
v/hich is now very common and is well deseiving a place 
in our poultry-yards. It was formerly, by mo.st writers, 
considered as coming from the Eastern Continent*; but is 
now well ascertained to be a native of South America.. 
This duck, in our Southern climate, is, perhaps, more 
hardy than the other; sets more steady on its eggs, and 
lays in the spring and fall. A mongrel breed between this, 
species and the English Duck is easily produced, and has 
become very common; but these, though they are good 
layers, are unable to propagate their species. There are 
other species of ducks which the curious in these matters 
have partially succeeded in domesticating. 1 once saw a 
fine flock of the Gad wall Duck {Anas Stnpcra) which an 
individualin the upper part of the State of New York had 
succeeded in raising from docks which he had captured- 
and which bred freely in his yard, and made no attempts 
at flying away. Our beautiful Summer Duck {Anas 
Sponsa) breeds freely in some parts of France and in the- 
Zoological Garden, in England. But it is very probable 
that the two species above mentioned are as well adapted 
to our purposes as any other, and lhatformany ytars they 
will be the only ones which will be generally kept in our 
poultry-yards. One drake will answer for five or six 
clucks; where iTiongrels are to be bred, place in separate, 
yard one Muscovy Drake to four English Ducks. 
2nd. T%e best mode of procuring an abundance of Eggsi 
— When ducks are raised' in the country and have access 
to rice-fields, ditches, ponds and the.borders of rivers, they 
find food best suited to them and generally lay early and. 
freely ; but where they are necessarily kept in yards and 
do not possess the above advantages, it will be necessary 
to adapt their food to their situation. A mixture of any 
kind of animal food with their rice-flour, corn meal or 
grist, given them regularly and plentifully three times a 
day, will enable you to procure a great abundance of 
eggs; where this is neglected your flnglish Ducks will- 
lay but sparingly. I have observed that animalfood is not 
so necessary to the Muscovy Duck, but that they gener- 
ally lay freely on being fed on grain alone. 
3rd. Setting and Hatching the Eggs—T\iQ English, 
Duck, although a good layer, is very careless about hatch- 
ing its eggs until late in the season, 1 have invariably- 
used the common hen for that purpose, and when the 
young ducks are removed as soon as they are dry, their 
foster parent will set again on other eggs, and I have thus 
known a single fowl to bring out three and even four 
broods of young ducks in succession. In that case she 
should be repaid for her faiihfulness by being richly fed,. 
The young ducklings in this climate leave the shell on 
the twenty-sixth day; the Muscovy sets a few days long- 
er. A fowl of a tolerable size will cover from thirteen to 
fifteen eggs After the eggs have been four or five days 
under the hen, you may in the evening examine the eggs 
by the light of a candle or lamp — place the eggs longitu- 
dinally between the fore finger and thumb — if the egg is 
likely to hatch it well be of a dark color, with streaks of 
red frequently perceptible and the cavity on the thick end 
will be somewhat enlarged and transparent, Ifit is a clear 
egg, it will be wholly transparent, and it ought to be re- 
moved at once, and if it has not been too long kept in the 
nest it is still fit for use. 
In this way when several hens have been set nearly at 
the same time, it will frequently be practicable to remove 
a sufficient number of clear eggs, so as to place a fresh 
setting of eggs under one or more of them. 'Ibe Muscovy 
