Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-02-15
miscellaneous.
A Goose Farm.

In the town of Mansfield, State of Mass
achusetts, is goose farm-a farm of sixty
acres on which geese and ducks are fat
tened for market. AS the number of geese
is much larger than that of the ducks, the
farm is in truth a goose farm. About
twenty years ago. Mr.. G. F. Austin, since
associated with his son. Mr.. c. M. Austin,
began to deal in green geese. buying the
goslins in spring and hurrying them tow
ard market plumpness as speedily as corn
and meal could make the transformation.
The business has added to itself until six
ty acres is not enough. and other and
larger fields must be found.
In April, or the latter part of March, the
goslins begin to arrive. They are then
s weeks or a month old and were Matched
in southern Rhode Island, the great
er number coming from Tiverton and Lit
tie Compton. and the region roundabout.
They have ample room for growth, and
their appetites are ministered to with care
and regularity. The goslin is hearty
eater, enjoys his dinner every half hour if
he can get it; has no digestion troubles,
and hence adds fat and tender muscle
quickly In this great goose mill. the
tledgling. the wingless goslin becomes a
green goose in a few weeks, perhaps not
fully grown but worth more per pound in
the green state than when the ripeness of
full maturity is upon him.
Accordingly the Young geese begin to
move toward market few weeks after
they arrive. and to take their places new
and later crop comes to farm. The Cos
Inns arrive up to September and October,
ha late bot,hal
Canada. In the early history of the
business the proprietor went to Canada
and bought personally all the goslins he
could find. Later, an agent on the ground
collects the goslins, arranging with the
inhabitants in certain towns to rear and to
sell
No attention is paid to the breed of
geese. All the proprietor wants is a
goose frame and he will be responsible
for its filling out. The flocks contain APP
parently. every known hybrid. There are
individual specimens that appear to be
pure Toulouse and brown and China
geese. From Canada come many mon
grels" The mongrel is cross between
the wild and the tame goose, and strange
as it may appear. the mongrels are all
mules. The geese lay. but there is no
germ of life in the egg.from which it may
be inferred that the wild goose is not a
goose, but belongs to some other species
of aquatic fowl.
During the season 90 600 goslngs come
and depart as geese. At one time this
year. there were on the farm $4,000 geese
and 1000 ducks, all in good spirits, and
all singing their little songs Imagine
$4,000 goose screams combined and add
ed to the total sum OF 1000 duck-Quacks.
To the untutored ear there is no music in
it. but the man who deals out the food
and is with the geese and ducks constant
". eXclaims. Noise don't hear any,
thngr' No, he doesn't hear ANYTHING,
for the same reason that an operative in a
room with hundred looms going at full
speed, does not hear anything.
At this time of the year. (near Christ
mas,) the stock grows light. and by the
first of January, or soon after, the last
goose has gone, and the goose machinery
rests for two or three months. When the
writer visited this goose ranch, only about
1000 geese remained. and of this number
200o were in one flock. Did YOU ever see
2000 geese together? The sight is worth
a five-mile walk-Just what the writer
paid. The members of the flock appear
to be governed by common impulse.
Now, all. or the greater number, sit down
and thrust the bill under a wing, (the dav
was cold, now they stand up on one leg,
drawing up the other to warm it, and now
they have important business at the other
end of the pasture, and away they go,
stretching and craning their necks. some
flying, and all running, and all making
much talk about it. They rest awhile and
then come back in the same hilarious
manner. The 2Oo0 came late, and are al
lowed to run, but before slaughter they
will be kept in small pens where they can
not race and run. and where they can only