HOUSE AND GARDEN 
May, 1913 
beak. A pair of mutes cost in this coun¬ 
try about $40.00. 
There are several breeds of geese which 
are considered ornamental and which are 
often seen. They include the Chinese, 
Egyptian, Sebastopol and Canadian wild 
geese. The Chinese geese are found in 
two varieties, white and brown. They 
stand as erect as an army colonel and at 
the base of the beak is a curious knob, 
which gives this breed a distinctive ap¬ 
pearance. It is not necessary to confine 
these geese closely and when they have 
been allowed to breed freely the young 
birds may be served on the table, for the 
flesh is delicious. Chinese geese are not 
expensive, costing fifteen or twenty dol¬ 
lars a pair. 
Egyptian geese are smaller but are 
highly ornamental, with rich coloring. 
They are easy to raise but have one seri¬ 
ous fault—they are very pugnacious. If 
placed in a yard with other birds they are 
sure to play the bully, sometimes to the 
extent of birdslaughter, if the offense 
may be so styled. For that reason they 
should be made to flock alone and it is a 
common practice to clip one wing, to pre¬ 
vent their flying into quarters where they 
are not wanted. 
Sebastopol geese are not so often seen, 
but are curious and beautiful. They are 
pure white and their feathers are long and 
silky, falling even to the ground. A small 
pond will suffice for a few of these birds, 
and they will prove a constant delight. 
They cost about $40.00 a pair. 
Less than half the price charged for 
the breed last named will pay for a pair 
of Canadian wild geese. Nevertheless, 
these birds are stylish and handsome. 
They are easily domesticated but must 
have a wing clipped if they are to be kept 
at home. Often they and other water 
birds are pinioned, which means that one 
wing is taken off at the outside joint. By 
this means they are permanently de¬ 
barred from flying far; if the wing is 
simply clipped, the feathers will grow 
again. They will breed in captivity if al¬ 
lowed to choose a quiet spot on the bank. 
Geese are bold, interesting creatures, but 
it is well to have them some distance from 
the house, for their cries are not alto¬ 
gether musical. 
Finally there are the ducks, some of 
which can boast feathers almost as fine as 
those of the gorgeous pheasant or the 
vanity-stricken peacock. The wood duck, 
for example, and the Mandarin are won¬ 
derfully beautiful. These are really the 
bantams of the duck family, but rank 
first among the ornamental varieties. In 
fact, they are simply little bunches of bril¬ 
liant plumage, bedecked as was Joseph in 
his coat of many colors. The Mandarins, 
natives of China, as their name indicates, 
have crests on their heads and fans on 
their backs which can be raised and 
lowered at will. They must be given the 
utmost seclusion at breeding time and 
never interferred with. If kept in yards, 
piles of brush may be thrown into corners 
for hiding places. Mandarins and wood 
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