Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-01-16

One afternoon we went on a most in.
tcrestinG expedition up the river. and
then turned aside into one of the many
creeks to the village IF Faa-tee, and
thence onward in search OF one OF the
great duck hatching establishments,
where multitldinoi:s eggs are arliticiaiiy
Matched. The first we came to was
closed, but the hoatmcn told us of an.
other further on, so we landed and
Wal ked along narrow ridges between
large flooded fields, in which lotus and
water chestnuts are grown for the sake
OF their edible roots. Both are nice when
cooked, but the collecting of these in
this deep mud must be truly detestable
for the poor women engaged in it.
Passing by amazing heaps of old EGG
shells for which even the Chinese
seem to have as yet found no uscJ we
reached the Matching house, in when
many thousands Of eggs are being grad.
ualy warmed in grca1 baskets filled up
with heated chat, and placed on shelves
OF very open basket work, which are
arranged i'll tiers all around the walls,
while on the ground are placed carthen-
ware stoves full of burning charcoal.
Here the eggs are kept for whole day
and night. the position of the la, kets
with reference to the stoves being con.
It nual changed by attendants who re.
serve their apparel for use in a cooler
atmosphere. After tn pre- iminarv
heating the eggs are removed to other
Baskets in another heated room, to which
they are eXtelouSly carried in cloths,
each containing about fifty eggs No
one bat mat handed hinaman could
carry su h q burden without break.
age. He the eggs remain for about a
fortnight, each egg beng frequently
moved from place to place
to e1ualize their sh ire of heat
ing. After this they are taken to a
third room, where they are spread over
wide shelves aud covered with sheets of
thick, warm cotton: at the end of an.
other fovtn ght hundreds Of little duck
lings simultao cously break their shells,
and by evening perhaps n couple Of
thousand fluffy little beauties are
lau ched into life ~ are forthwith fed
with rice water Duck farmers (who
know precisely when great hatch
ing is due) are IN attendance to buy SO
many hundreds of these pretty infants,
"hohi tHcg dt olIIC curry Oil 10 lntlT
respective farms, where there are al.
ready an immense number of ducks ana
geese of different ages, a in separate
lots. The geese, by the way, are not
Matched artifcially, owing to the thick
ness of their shells, consequently they
are not so very numerous as ducks
Still, tloCks numbering 600 or 800 are
reared, and are provided with waffle
shelves on which to roost. as damp
ground is considered injurious to the
young birds. A very large goose market
is held every morning in Canton, which
is supplied by geese boats, each of which
brings 200 or 800 birds. AS 10 the baby
ducks, they are fed on boiled rice, and
after while are promoted to Bran, mag
ISots, and Other delicac cs, ill the day
comes when tho owners OF til. duck
boats come to purchase the half grown
birds and commence the process OF let
ting them fatten themselves as aforesaid
This continues till they are ready FIR the
market and are either sold for immediate
consumption or bought who 'csale by the
provision dealers, who split, salt, and
then dry them in the sun. Tho heart.
gizzard and entrails are also dried and
sold separately, and the bills, tongues
and feet are picked in brine. -Belgraoia.