A Goose Farm.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 183, 18 December 1886, Page 7

A Goose Farm.

Therb Is a goose ranch located on the eastern shore of Virginia, covering nearly 3,000 acres, over which the feathered occupante, nearly 5,000, are free to roam. The farm ia devoted exclusively to producing the raw materials needed for the fine down quilts. Several species of geese are bred, all of them being, however, of American lineage. The largest specimens are the swan geese, and the plumage of all is of snowy whitness. The birds are regularly fed with corn and other grains, and are given the utmost freedom consistent with the prevention of straying and loss. Herders are employed to keep a watchful eye on them, and sheds for shelter are provided in case of inclement or especially severe weather, but the birds rarely use them. About every six weeks the plucking take& place. Only the breast and portion lof the sides are touched, the featheis of the back, the wings and the tail bong left intact. It requires nearly 100 average geese to furnish a pound of down, though tho smaller feuthers which are also taken, weigh much heavier. These feathers, however, form an entirely separato giade fiom tho valuable down. Tho average life of a goose is said to be 40 yeais, and produce from 6 to 10 eggs per annum, a large proportion of which art hatched. A bird hatched in Febiuary is in condition for plucking the following August, and so on theieforo every 6 or 8 ■necks. The featheis are packed in sacks, and sent to the Philadelphia factory, where they are trimmed, washed, steamed, and otherwise pioparcd for then ultimate uses.

Good ayd Toon Layers. — The difference btiu'ten the yield of eggs in tho mo?t piohfic ca^es, as compared with poor layers is ar< thiee or four to one. In favourable iu&tanncs individual hens liavc been known to piochieo two iuindrecl and fifty egg.i per yeai . Yet two hundiecl is reached so seldom as to be called a lemarkable \icld. Tht gieatest average jield that y e lrivc ever had ourselves, in a flock of twelvr hens, w as one bundled and torty fceven ogtc per annum, wlnle the greatest avenge in twelve Hocks numbering in all two hundred laycif of various breeds, was one bundled and two egf.^. In the latter case thcie woic ei^ht (1 i<lei en t breeds, and "were old hunt and oiheiv u ere pullets and iririny of tiw number weic employed a paifc of the time in hatching And leaiing chicken's. X) in \ "■> — 3n a fuimci mimbei of Tin V \i±\ih.. w c u .'i dr-onption ut the Dei b\ - '-hire liedcap*. The ilulrap if* a kind of badly -[lunukid I lambing, but i.s much hitCiOl and po^C.-t- iin (in",mi>!H comb j It is oi'i. of the k- 1 lunii; hi«_- i** known, but t- i.' t lai'ii-i\ 1-cpl, i'ij (oi-')" gi\i n i.ll li) 31) i'I^IWI 1 111 'I'tldLM'O I,) I liatT' i L;i < l". \\ ii • 'Vvo not 1 in ■ Urn lo^k- liml I . « - i' - •.{] vitb .' wc'.l 'd'ed • ■_" ba-'-i. '. inn i* vio In i.^i. --a\^ i E,i_li-n v. iiiiM i, [>• \ lit ea i und lun.Utln'M <u>}.o-nii, lU'ii ,vc i> t > - ■ c H ( ■ "I fo.- 1 i Preserving Eggs. — A contemporary ' vrites :— Epgs may bo preserved as long as three months by each being wrapped in thin, soft paper, and placed small end down in white jars, the jars to be tied over with double paper, as for jam. Milk for Fowls. — When skim-milk oi butter-milk can be secured at from a penny | to twopence per gallon, ifc is one of the I cheapest foods th at can be given to chicken. ! It may laigely tako the place of flesh, and will induce them to lay early and often. Pre-. i:\tion or Flying. - If it is necessary to clip the wings of a fowl to restrain its enatie propensities, open one wing, and cut, only the fir&t or flight feathers, usually ton in number. Thi- i& the way we always ni;in ige. It will effectually pi event the bud lKiim, and the loss i^ no vi-iblo, be r'uh't- the bud is not much inquired for hatchi'i^ purposes. Food tor Laying lluks.— A ben maybe jF~iovd to ofit almost anything, but veiy feu anin.'il,-. feel tho iesuh of bad food quieket Hum <i lien, r»pecLilly a laying he-i Unsuitable food \\ill reduce' the number oi egy-s at once, and if it doe^ not can-.' a permanent injury to the hen it will lequue some time, with the best ot car« 3, for her to recover her foimer condition. Many hens aie injuied by feeding them witlipoor scraps. ]}ecau.^e they will eat such things it is no evidence that they are of any benefit. Whatever meat is given to poultry should be given sweet and hesh, Piuo water is al&o very desirable. rmEoy 11 4oi: ovi.u Sr v.— Recently about SOO pigeons staited fioinDo\er, England, for a inco to Bui-seh The biids had been taken to England in panniers, which formed purt of the dock caigo of the Oolend mail packet ; but, the weather being very thick in the Channel, they could not~be liberated directly after their anival, as was intended. They belong to different Belgian societies. The stait was a very interesting eight ; the English Channel being fairly clear, the ba.-kets were placed in tiers on the quay flaps, and at a given signal wero let down simultaneously. Tho birds rose like a cloud, and, circling in the air for a moment, made off in the direction of Calais. Some 500 birds tiainod to act as messengers in ease of war were recently flown from Dover to Pans. Bad lUißYixa and Hard Times.— Hard times always squeeze tho careless and least skilful dairymen the worst. They pay no attention to improved methods, and plot along in the same old rut, no matter what happens. When low price? overtake them their profits are wiped out, and they have no resources to fall back on. This class of \ dairymen 4t must go." We are in an era of the "survival of the fittest." Calves and Pros. — Put your skim milk and butter milk into calves or pigs, says the U. S Dairyman, supplementing them -with corn meal and a sprinkling of oil meal. Give both calves and pigs room to move around in and keep clean. Both will be benefited by having good grass to feed on in addition to what is carried to them. It will keep them healthy and contented, and promote growth. Plenty of clover i 3 a good preventive of bog' cholera. Si/.k oi" Fat (jlivbulks — It is generally conceded that the largest fat globules churn the easiest and make the best butter The fact that the smaller globules at first reeieted unite and foini larger ones before tho milk i& drawn, we bu.^peob is the key to the churning quality. The fact that the churning qualify ib good appears, to be the rca-on why they are huge, instead of the ■•izo indicating the churning quality.

Little Diek — " Pop, may Igo to the circus ?" Pop - " No, my son j circuses are very wicked." " Well, I guess this isn't a regular circus. It's advertised as a great moral show, and it's got pictures of all sorts of nice church-folks riding in pro* cession on such beautiful horses, and good Sunday-school boys flying through the air on trapezßP, and Oh ! such pretty girls, look like choir-singers, walking on tightropes and balancing themselves on fast horses, and jumping through hoops, and turning aomersets over " "Well, if t is a great moral show I guess we'll go."