66 
CHINESE GOOSE.-RABBITS.—THE GREATEST EGG-LAYING STORY ON RECORD. 
Be kind.also to the cattle, and instead of kicks and 
blows, and loud abuse, give them mild words, a gen¬ 
tle patting, good currying, and plenty of water, two 
or three times a day. Thus treated, the cattle will 
like you, and gratefully repay all this attention (if of 
a good breed), by growing rapidly, or doing a great 
deal of work. The cows, too, will supply you with 
plenty of milk and butter. 
CHINESE GOOSE.—Fig. 11. 
This bird, among geese, is what the clean legged 
bantams are among fowls—the smallest, the finest, 
and the most light, airy, and graceful of its tribe. 
The Chinese goose is as blood-like and beautiful as 
an Arabian horse, and caii as easily be known, and 
a bad cross detected in it. Will you believe it, boys, 
we have been trying to get some of these pure bred 
for the past four months, but have not yet succeeded 
in doing so? All that have been offered us were a 
cross with the Poland, African, or Guinea goose, 
which completely spoils it for our eye. We wish 
that people would have the good sense and taste to 
keep birds, as well as beasts, of a pure blood. 
The bills and legs of the Chinese goose are of a 
dark color, amounting almost to a black; the wings 
and tail of a slate, tinged with grey; the back of the 
neck a dark streak; underneath, and along the breast, 
a pure ash predominates, growing lighter under the 
belly and the tail. They are hardy, lively birds, and 
as great layers as ducks. They usually begin to 
drop their eggs early in February, and will continue 
laying from two to four months, according as they 
are fed and cared for. We saw a beautiful pair of 
these birds at the Agricultural show, at Poughkeep¬ 
sie, last fall, and would be greatly obliged to the 
owner of them if he would sell us a few of their 
offspring the coming season—we wish them for some 
of our junior friends. 
Rabbits. —These are easily taken alive, by soak¬ 
ing their favorite food, parsley, in strong rum or 
brandy. A similar method is employed in catching 
small birds, with steeped seed. They, like raboits, 
are so intoxicated with the spirit, that there is no 
difficulty in obtaining as many as you wish. 
The Greatest Egg-laying Story on Record 
—It is frequently asserted that poultry is more plague 
than profit. But this, boys, like many other asser¬ 
tions, must be taken with proper qualifications. We 
contend, if you have a good breed of fowls, take pro¬ 
per care of them, and are near a reasonably good 
market, that the keeping of fowls is as profitable a 
business for the amount of capital invested in it, as a 
farmer’s boy, or the women of a family, can be en¬ 
gaged in. To prove this we will cite one example. 
When we were at the pleasant farm, last September, 
of Messrs. H. & J. Carpenter, of Poughkeepsie, their 
brother, Mr. Gerard Carpenter, showed us an account 
of the number of eggs laid by their hens up to that time 
from the 1st of January. It was so exact and satisfac¬ 
tory, that we requested him to continue it to the end 
of the year, which he has very obligingly done, and 
now here is the result. 
He commenced on the 1st of January, 1844, with 
67 hens and 3 cocks. Out of this flock were sold and 
lost by the 1st of May, 7 hens ; from that time up to 
the 16th September they lost 2 more. Since then we 
are not Miformed what the losses have been. It would 
probably be fair to set down the average stock of 
hens during the year at- 60 head. These laid in the 
following months, all of which were consumed by 
the family or sold : 
January, 
191 eggs. 
In July, 838 eggs 
February, 
400 “ 
August, 740 “ 
March, 
892 “ 
September 540 “ 
April, 
1037 “ 
October, 113 “ 
May, 
1086 “ 
November, 21 “ 
June, 
700 “ 
December,—none. 
6558 eggs. 
Tn addition to this number, it is supposed full 300 
were used for sitting, got lost, broken, or spoiled, which 
are not taken into the above account. The average 
price that the eggs brought at Poughkeepsie was $1 
per hundred, which makes their value $65 58 
Chickens raised 101, at 20 cts. each, 20 20 
$85 78 
VVe suppose that this flock of hens may have con¬ 
sumed grain enough during the year, equivalent to 70 
bushels of corn. This is allowing £ of a gill per day 
throughout the year to the flock of hens, and nothing 
to rear the chickens ; but as, during the summer, hens 
that have the range of a farm need no feeding, this 
quantity of grain is considered ample for their support 
At 50 cents per bushel for the corn, this would 
make the expense of their feed, $35 00, which, de¬ 
ducted from the value of eggs and chickens, leaves a 
nett profit of $50 78. It is considered that the ma¬ 
nure of the hens, and the insects they destroy during 
the season, are equivalent to taking care of them. 
The actual feed of the above hens was as much 
corn mixed with a few oats as they would eat; the 
grain being placed where they could always get at it. 
In the winter they had a little meat. They were not 
confined at all, and had access to lime and gravel 
while the ground w T as covered with snow. Their roost- 
ing-place was comfortably enclosed under the harp. 
