GEESE. 
351 
which will rear seven ; so that, at the end of the year, if 
fortunate in rearing, he will be possessed of seven thousand. 
During the breeding season, these birds are lodged in the 
same houses with their owners, and even in their bed- 
chambers ; three rows of wicker pens are placed one above 
another in every department ; each Goose having its separate 
lodge divided from the others, of which it keeps possession 
during the time of sitting. A person called a gozzard 
attends the flock, and twice a day drives the whole to water, 
then brings them hack to their habitations, helping those 
that live in the upper stories to their nests, without ever 
misplacing a single bird. They are, as we have observed in 
treating of Feathers (p. 67), plucked frequently, we believe 
not less than five times a year ; the first plucking being on 
Lady-day, for feathers and quills ; the remaining pluckings, 
between that time and Michaelmas, being for feathers only. 
The old Geese submit with tolerable patience to this barba- 
rous operation, but the young ones are noisy and unruly. 
Even goslings of six weeks old are not spared ; their tails 
being plucked, as it is said, to habituate them to future 
plucking. 
When ready for the London market, flocks, from two 
to nine thousand in number, are sent off, travelling slowly 
from three in the morning until nine at night, during which 
time they will accomplish, on an average, about eight or ten 
miles. 
Those who live near commons can turn the rearing of a 
few Geese to good account, and might reap still greater 
advantages if they paid due attention. If well kept, a 
Goose will lay not far short of one hundred eggs a year. 
The French, who understand the management of poultry 
much better than we do, put their Goose-eggs under large 
hens of common fowls, in the proportion of from four to 
five eggs to each ; and under Turkeys, to which they give 
nine or ten. When the Goslings are hatched, they are kept 
in a warm place for about four or five days, and fed on 
barley-meal, mixed, if possible, with milk, and then they 
will begin to graze. 
