Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-02-05

then slowly raised to between l6O and
ITO degrees Fair. The water is kept
at this temperature for q gre ter or
less length of time, according 10 the
period during which it is desired to
preserve the milk. One hour will, it
ia claimed, preserve the milk four or
five weeks. Five hours heating is
enough for eight months or u year.
The fire is then withdrawn al nd the
bath allowed to cool down slowly, after
which the cans are withdrawn and the
operation is completed. An essential
condition of success IN this process ia
that the vessels designed to contain
the milk should be perfectly clean and
sweet, and the milk itself pure and uu.
adu]terated. II the temperature he
raised above the degree indicated, the
milk acquires cooked taste.
! PcktM Ducks.
Rev. W. Cliff, of Connecticut, saws
in the rural Home. of Pekin ducks:
These ducks elicted so many in.
qulries nj the late exhibition Of the
Connecticut State Poultry Society,
that all poultry fanciers, rs we'll rs far.
lners, who have good facilities for rails.
ing water fowl, will be interc sted to
Know something more about their
good qualities aud history. They
were brought to this country by Mr..
james E. Palmer, of Stoningtop, c.,
and landed in New York on tn B 14th
day Of March, 1873: Quite a large
number were put on board tn B ship,
but most of them died during the pas
sage. Mr.. Palmer succeeded in getting
u drake and three ducks TO his farm,
but Ut course, dwarfed by the long voy-
| age. His attention was first called to
them in China, by their large size. He
at first supposed they were a: small
breed of geese. They recovered their
flesh sooner than he expected, and he-
fore he had suspected them of laying,
he found lot of their eggs in a small
brook running through the ph sture
where they were confined. The ducks
laid constantly until the last of July,
something over one hundred eggs each.
Some of the eggs were sold, given
away to friends, and set under hens.
Fifty birds in all were raised. The
eggs hatch in twenty-five days, and the
young birds are about third larger
than the "Rouens when they first
come out of the shell, and grow more
rapidly through the season.
Mr.. Palmer's largest pair at the show,
only five months old, weighed fifteen
pounds, without any fattening or
special care. They are clear white,
with faint yellowish tinge to the
hinderpart of the feathers. which are
very thick and downy. The wing pri-
maries and all of the flight. featheks are
remarkably short, showing that they
have long been sdomeeticated, and are
not disposed to fly much. They are
very hardy, not minding snow or rain {;
are easily kept in small epclos-
ures, and only require a lit
tie clean water and regular feed
ing to raise them successfully. When
they have a good run they are keel
lent foragers and can take care of
themselves as readily as any other
breed of fowls. They have large vel.
low bills and reddish legs. Their long,
graceful necks, their white eplu mage
and remarkable size make them
pleasing objects upon the water or
about the farm-yard and lawn. They
have excited a great deal of interest
among those who have seen Thorn at
MIR. Palmer's farm, and were the lead
ing feature of the State Exhibition.