320 
THE POULTRY BOOK. 
We may supplement this judicious advice by the following, which Mr. Austin 
Williams, of Reading, formerly a very successful exhibitor of geese, has forwarded 
to us on their incubation, and on the management of the goslings : — ‘‘ The period 
of incubation,” writes Mr. Williams, ^4s about thirty days; hut should the goose 
not sit close, it may extend one or two days over that period. I have generally 
found geese leave their home when sitting once a day, until within a day or so 
of hatching, when they are seldom disposed to quit their charge. At such times 
they should always he fed. It is certainly desirable that the sitting goose should 
have easy access to water, for a bath not only keeps her in health, hut materially 
assists the process of hatching. For the last few days, I make a rule of placing 
food and water by the side of the old bird. 
As soon as the goslings become dry after hatching, I give them each a pellet 
of barley-meal, with milk to drink, since I think that they are thus strengthened. 
I then place the old goose with her goslings under a coop on a grass plat, the latter 
having sufficient room to pass between the bars, and pick the herbage, a privilege 
which they almost immediately avail themselves of. Barley-meal mixed to a 
crumbling consistency with water, and bruised oats, form their food until they gain 
strength, when the oats are given whole. My reason for giving them soft food is, 
that the gosling derives greater benefit from its being more easy of digestion. 
Some of my largest white goslings, hatched in the spring, will weigh in August 
from 131bs. to 161bs. each.” 
In one point, geese differ widely from any other species of domesticated poultry, 
namely, in their extreme longevity. On this subject Mr. Hewitt writes : — 
Perhaps there is scarcely any description of poultry that can boast of the 
extraordinary age of the goose, combined with continued productiveness. In 
poultry-breeding, we continually find, in other instances, that age brings with it 
decreased powers of production, and, at length, such birds cease breeding alto- 
gether. I could mention several instances of geese attaining twenty, or five- 
and-twenty years of age, and still, year by year, both laying and sitting as 
abundantly and as early as in former seasons. This remark, however, applies 
especially to birds which have during the whole period enjoyed free and 
unlimited range. I am aware of the existence of an old goose that has 
attained an age of nearly forty years, and that has never failed during that period 
to raise one or two good broods annually. She does not show any apparent mark 
of extreme old age, grazing freely as heretofore, and being very attentive to her 
offspring. 
‘‘ Ganders, on the other hand, as far as my knowledge extends, never maintain 
their productiveness ; and, generally speaking, they become, at the age of a few 
years only, perfect pests to all the weaker inhabitants of the farm, are easily 
irritated, especially if they have been teased, and really dangerous to young 
children, from the extreme violence and unexpected nature of their attacks. For 
these reasons, they are very rarely retained sufficiently long to prove the length 
of time they would continue of utility to their owners ; but I am informed by 
