The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1885-12-18
Duck Far1ners in China.

AN<AA u 80 IA OAAAAS~H
From the Belgaria Magazine.
One afternoon we went a most in
teresting expedition up the river
and then turned aside into Que of
the many creeks, to the village OF
Faa.tee, and thence onward in
search of the great duck-hatching
establishments, where multitndin
ous eggs are artiticially hatched.
The first we came to was closed,
but the boatman told MS of another
further Oh, 50 we landed and walk
ed along narrow ridges between
large flooded fields iu which lotus
and water chestnuts are grown for
the sake OF their edible roots. Both
are uice when cooked, but the col
lecting of these in this deep mud
must be truly detestable for the
poor women engaged in it. Pass
ing by amazing heaps of old egg
shells (ior which even the Chinese
seen to have as yet found no use)
we reached the hatchiug house, in
which many thousands of eggs are
being gradually warmed in great
baskets filled up with heated chatf,
aud placed on shelves of very open
basket work, which are arranged ia
tiers all around the walls, while on
the ground are placed earthen ware
stoves full of burning charcoal.
Here the eggs are kept tor whole
day and night, the position of tue
basket with reference to the stoves
being continually changed by at
tendantS who reserve their apparel
for use in a cooler atmosphere.
After this preliminary heating tue
eggs are removed to other baskets
IN another heated room, to which
they are dexterously carried in
cloths, each containing about fifty
eggs. No one but neat handed
Cbinamaa could carry such "A bur
den without a hreakage! +! Here the
eggs remain for about fortnight,
each egg being frequently moved
from place to place to equalize their
share of he;ltiug After this they
are taken to Il third room. where
they are spread over wide shelves
and covered with sheets OF thick,
warm cotton aud at the eud OF an
other fortnight hundreds Of little
dackliues simultaneously break
their shells, aud by evening per-
haps a couple of thousand fluffy
little beauties are launched in life
and are forthwith fed with rice wa
ter. Duck farmers (whO know pre-
cisely when each great halching is
due) are in attendance to buy so
many hundreds OF these pretty in
fanis, whom they at once carry off
to their respective farms, where
there are already an immense nun
Der OF ducks aud geese of different
ages, all in separate lots. The
geese, by the way, are not hatched
ariiticially, owing to the thickness
of their shells, consequently they
are net SO very numerous as ducks.
Still, hbckS numbering. 600 are 800
are reared, aud arc provided with
waffle shelees on which to ro0st, as
damp ground is considered injuri-
OuS TO ihe young birds. A very
large goose market is held every
morning in Canton, which is sup
piled by geese boats, each OF which
brings 200 or 800 birds. As to the
baby ducks, they are fed 0n boiled
rice, aud after Il while are promoted
bran, maggots and other delicacies,
till the day comes when the owners
OF the duck boats come to purchase
the hali-grown birds aud commence
the process of letting them fatten
themselves, as aforesaid. THIS con.
tinues till they are ready for the
man ket aud are either sold for im-
mediate consumption, or bought
wholesale by the provision dealers.
who split, salt and then dry them
IN the sun. The heart, gizzard and
entralls are also dried and sold sep
arately, and the bills, tongues aud
teet are picked in brine.