POULTRY LORE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 867, 12 October 1888, Page 18

POULTRY LORE.

HOW TO MAKE WHITEWASH, Take one pock of burned-stone lime and slack it with boiling water. Do not use more water thau is necessary to have the lime slowly crumble, and use a tight barrel for the purpose. When it is fine pour enough, boilling water over it to make a thick mass. Now add oue quart of kerosene to a gallon of Bkim milk, mix well and pour the mixture into the barrel. Next put a pound of carbonate of lime in the barrel. Stir the whole well and add sufficient hot or cold water to give it the proper consistency. Apply it once a month, and it will not only proteot against vermin, but will bo durable and give neatness to the poultry-yard.

The California Cackler writing about the turkey, says :—This fine and valuable fowl is a native of America. It derived its name from tho fact that iu England they were under the impression that they originally oatno from Turkey. There are several distinct families in this country, notably among which is the mammoth bronze variety, highly esteemed for its large size and beautiful plumage. There is a diversity of opinion as to its origin ; some claim that it is a cross of the wild and tho old Pennsylvania turkey ; others, that it is simply the wild turkey, changed by keeping and breeding those of the largest .size and most lustrous plumage, from o:»<j genti ati.m to another, until a distinct breed was established. Be that as it may, we have the name, and we have the turkeys, and they are an houoUY to any country. Turkeys, to be profitable, must have plenty of range ; being of rambling nature, they will not bear confinement for any great length of time. After they are a fevt weeks old, and able to travel, they n<?vtl but little

attention during all the summer months, obtaining their living chiefly of insects, eto. They are also very secretive in their habits • the hens will usually hide their nests where they are very hard to find, rather than lay in a convenient place. To overcome this habit partially, many poulterers raise their youug turkeys with a chicken mother ; th s is very good in this respect, but they will not thrive nearly so fast, and will take much more feeding than when allowed to ruu with the old turkey. With a reasonable fair chance, the eggs will usually nearly all hatch ; and there is a peculiarity about the turkey that perhaps is uot known by all, th-t one coupling of the male and fem-.de is all that is necessary, to fertilise all the eggs of a brood. This fact is very frequently taken advantage of by neighbours buying a large gobbler in partnership, and using him by turns, thus introducing new blood into their flocks with but small outlay to each. For a long time many were under the impression that turkey eggs could not be shipped, and hatoh with any profit at all, but it has been demonstrated that they would hatch a much greater per cent, after being shipped than hen eggs. Parties that complain that turkey eggs are high at four or five dollars per thirteen do not stop to calculate, that with a hatoh of half—say seven out of the .thirteen —they get an exoellent bargain ; even if Bold at market prices they would bring ac least nine dollars, but for starting a flock they would be worth three times that amount.

Numerous are the queries concerning the care of young turkeys ; to answer them in detail would be an endleßS task ; but I might say, in this connection, that the greatest care must be exercised to not overfeed them while very young. Their first meals should be of soaked bread, and iu a few days substituted by sou? milk thickened with cornmeal, after being first scalded. A little onion-tops cut up and sprinkled ih are very beneficial. They should be enclosed in a large, roomy board pen for the first two or three weeks, after which they can be allowed more freedom. Should their wings seem heavy at a month old, pull out some of the long quill-feathers.

Among the improved varieties of geese, the Toulouse breed stands pre-eminent for size and weight. As the Brahma is to the common barnyard fowls, so the Toulouse is among the varieties of the anser tribe. The Toulouse originated in the city of Toulouse, on the Garrone river, France. They are raised in great numbers in every district, and thousands of small farmers and cottagers derive a handsome revenue from this branch of poultry industry. Not alone are these big geese raised for consumption in the principal cltiesj but are sold to the commissariat of the military and naval supplies, smoked and cured like bacon. The Toulouse are good layers but poor sitters, and their flesh is tender, juicj, and well flavoured. In plumage they are gray and white, the head and neck ashy gray, throat light tint of gray, breast, back and thighs dark grayish brown, with a margin of white. Greater wing covert 3 brown, lesser wing coverts a light gray. Primary wing fea.hars ashy gray becoming very dark, rich brown at their extremities, the shaft being ja clear white, secondaries and tertail3 dark leaden brown, scapulars the same, with a narrow light edge. The under part of the body white, tail coverts white, tail feathers brown with a broad white band at the extremity. The bill Is a reddish flesh colour, and the legs deep orange red. The Toulouse often reach the enormous weight of sixty pounds per pair. Their heavy bodies and the disuse of their wing muscles fit them admirably for close cooping. They can be easily confined by a low fence in the orohard, meadow or waste land, and will thrive on less water than any other variety of geese.