The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-29

1OH tOlu us lnoluluS cAPoiiOhC0,
concluding with: tFl ~ =.
"If she will only accept me, I shall be
the happiest man alive, and all owing to
my dear old grandmother advice"
The Duclair Ducks.
S. (spectator.I t
Between the chalk cliffs of Duclair and
the Seine, broadening grandly as it ap,,
proaches its embouchure, and rendeEed
more attractive by little wooded promon-
tories stretching out into it at intervals,
is narrow strip Of land laid out into
orchards, and divided between small
peasant proprietors, depending entirely
for their maintenance upon their fruit,
their COW, their goat, their pigs, their
few fowls, and, best source of profit OF
all, upon their ducklings which they
rear in baskets by the fireside, taking
care, however, to let them have some
some fresh air, were it only for five or
ten minutes, daily. .t.
When the snow is on the ground, they
go SO far as to put down piece of carpet
for the ducklings, as wet is very injurious
to them at that tender age; but out they
must 60, in any case, if their owners
would not see them die. They are
worthy, however, of all these petits
soins, for a fat duck in the season,
namely, from Twelfth Day till Easter,
will easily fetch IL francs in the Duclair
market As the birds can be ready for
the table at eight weeks old, it follows
that their breeders are very we'll paid,
and they calculate on making at least
l franc week clear profit upon each OF
them. ..........
Reckoning francs, therefore, for each
duck, and supposing that one hundred
(not at all an extraordinary number)
have been reared, this alone would pro-
duce e32 year, comfortable little in
come, in addition to that from other pro-
duce, for man whose land is his own.
Many of the peasants, however, do not
fatten their ducks, but content them
selves with selling them, when sufficient
ly grown, to those who, like NJ. vauclin,
make business of preparing them for
market. The food given to them at first
is, of course, the traditional chopped egg
mixed with nettles, and afterward lit
tic barley-meal and milk; but very
soon the voracious youngsters are pro
noted to diet of worms, the collection
of which for the purpose forms the regu-
lar occupation of number of women.
During the three weeks of fattening,
barley or buckwheat meal, mixed with
milk, is made into paste, and admins
tered in the form Of long-shaped pellets,
which are put down the throat with the
finger, but, Of course, the young birds
have been well fed from the beginning
and never allowed to be out of condi.
ton. Those destined for the concours
however, are given even yet daintiel
proyender. For them the best fresh
= butter is by no means considered toe
; good. Ducks so fed must probably
be far too oily to be agreeable
.. eating, but if they carry off first prizes
: they may be said to have achieved theil
destiny. The duck of the true Duclai
breed is black, with white neck anc
breast, and one snowy feather at the enc
of each wing. The drake, however, is o.
> a beautiful gray color, with emerald heat
, and neck, and wings Of bluish7green
= They must not be speckled at all, like tn
. Rcuen variety. The birds are large ant
long, and broad and heavy behind. The!
grow rapidly, and are good layers. A
the time of our visit, namely, the secon'
:, week of October, many birds were Lay
!. ing, and in other places Matching was al
= ready going on. Some of the farmer
are very proud of the purity Q
: their breed, and careful to maintain il
= and they sell their eggs for Matching @
- from so centimes to franc apiece, az
% . cording to the season, for the thrift
y =. peasants do not commit the folly c
= keeping stock birds, but buy the egg
. Warranted, of course) when they have
, hen or turkey ready to sit on then
= Moreover, as no Frenchwoman woul
i i dream Of letting her birds waste the
"A "A time over an uncertainty, all eggs al
~ submitted to the mirage after five da.
n of incubage, the fertile ones being r
~ u turned to the seller, who can alwa!
~ make use of them in the kitchen, as "cle'
r + eggs" are not in any way spoiled b
j j this short experience Of the hatchir
a process.