January 1, 1910 
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THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
“2 Fhe Poultry Yard: 
2 & 
‘Poultry-keeping For Profiit. 
People should be just as careful about 
‘going into the poultry business as they 
would be at engaging any other industry. 
Do not think it is easy enough to raise 
chichens, and that anyone can do it. 
There are, perhaps more failures among 
‘those trying to raise poultry on a large 
‘scale than in any other branch of farming. 
Before attempting it, we would advise al! 
to try to gain their first experience at the 
expense of somebody else. The a posi- 
tion as laborer, or in any capacity, on a 
poultry-farm before embarking all your 
own capital, Experimeut for a season: 
You will never regret the experience. 
If successful, you will have learned much 
and be able to save money in arranging 
the place you buy. If successful, you 
want no more of it. Poultry papers 
usually publish the successes, but seldom 
the failures. 'n this they are misleading. 
Where most people do and can succeed is 
in keeging a few hens for the eggs alone. 
‘They are fed and cared for bettr, com- 
paritively, than a large flock, aud give 
better returns. Wedo not say that it 
is impossible to succeed on a large scale, 
but do say more fail than succeed, There- 
fore, we urge all to be careful when 
engaging in raising chickens on a large 
scale, and try to get experience before 
investing heavily. 
A Great Goose Farm. 
Under the above heading the State 
Agriculture Board of Kansas (America) 
gives the account of a great fattening 
farm, operated by C. M. Austin &Co., 
Mansfield, Mass. he stock handled 
consists entirely. of -geese. Geese are 
there kept by the thousands, There, all 
the year round, but especially in July or 
October, may be seen lean geese, fatting 
geese, fat geese, goslings, and geese beau- 
tifully dressed and ready for the market. 
The account referred to says:—This 
large, entirely practical plant, handles 
and fattens between 20,000 and 30,000 
geeso annually, and supplies a very con- 
siderable percentage of the fancy green 
goslings that bring such high prices on 
the Boston and New York markets. The 
goose farm has been established for a 
number of years, and is doing a success- 
ful year-round business. Up to the 
31 
present no breeding geese are kept, and 
the early stages of the business of hatch- 
ing and growing geese are not done at 
the Austin Farm. The farm occupies 
about 125 acres, the greater portion of 
which is used almost exclusively for 
goose pasture and fattening pens. 
Twice each week, beginning in May or . 
early June, according to the season, 
specially constructed collecting waggons 
are sent from this farm 45 miles over the 
road ihto the goose section of Rhode 
Island and South-eastern Massachusetts. 
The trip into the goose-growing | section 
takes one full day. Men and horses rest 
up overnight for the next day’s work of 
collecting geese and goslings, which is a 
- honse-to house trip among the farmers 
raising this toothsome water fowl. The 
eallecting trip occupies one day, while 
the third day is devoted to the journey 
back to Austin Farm. Here the geese 
are carefully sorted and fatted for market. 
In the fall, when the collecting season is 
over for New England, this farm receives 
shipments of geese from Canada by the 
car load, upwards from a thousand in a 
These geese are unloaded in 
much the same manner as sheep, and are 
driven from the railway station to the 
farm. 
Both young and old stock are received 
in these Canadian shipments, and also — 
large numbers of that famous table 
delicacy know as the ‘mongrel’ goose. 
The term mongrel as applied to geese, 
does not mean the same as when applied 
to other poultry. The name mongrel, or 
Rhodes Island Mongrel, is applied exclus- 
ively to a hybrid water fowl, produced by 
by crossing wild geese with the common 
domestic goose of any variety, usually 
the common farm goose. Many of them 
are hansom black geese, others of various 
colors, including the’ mottled white 
The mongrel goose is sterile, 
properly a hydrid or a mule. This cross 
of wild upon the domesticated is highly 
esteemed by epicures, and is especially 
grown for the holiday trade, tas a 
fancy price. 
The farmers growing geese to sell to 
the collecter made a tidy profit, it is said 
from this branch of their general farming 
business. 
shipment. 
being 
