The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-07-20
GEESE FOR EXPORT.
IN Industry That should Attract Americas
Farmers.

This Is probably owing to the fact that
wild ducks, geese and brants are still
plentiful in most parts of the country.
and hunters supply the market with
birds at lower prices than farmers can
afford to raise them. During the hunt
ing season wild water-fowls are often
cheaper than any article of meat
that can be obtained. The general use
of pork also interferes with the demand
for ducks and geese. The farmer sup
plies all the fat meat that most people
desire to eat. Most of our native popu-
lation prefer turkeys and chickens to
ducks and geese. Till recently most
persons have raised geese chiefly for the
feathers they afford. Most of the geese
that have been sent to market have been
old and tough. More pains have been
taken TO improve chickens designed for
the table than to improve the breed of
geese raised for the same purpose. The
majority of American families who set
fine tables and who study TO obtain a
great variety of food do not have roast
goose oftener than once q year. Geese
in this country are chiefly eaten By per-
sons of foreign birth.
Ii is likely that the home demand for
domesticated ducks and geese will inn
prove as the supply of wild birds de-
creases, as 1t doubtless will in few
years. The number that are slaughter
ed by hunters every spring and fall is
enormous. Many are killed simply for
sport. In the meantime their old nest
ing places in the Northwestern Terrific
ries and Canada are being encroached
on by settlers. We are reminded
by foreign papers that there is fresh
demand for geese abroad. In England,
il appears, every well-regulated family
serves up fat goose at the Feast of ST.
Michael as the American families do
turkey on Thanksgiving day. MANY
families prefer goose 10 chicken or beef
al hristmss. The country no longer
produces geese enough to supply the de-
mand for them. Frozen geese are
brought 10 London and other cities dur
ing the winter season from Russia, Ger
many and Canada. They bring about
sixteen cents per pound. Ireland and
North France also supply dressed geese
at different seasons of the year. As these
have not been frozen. they bring better
prices. Except during warm weather,
when there is no demand for them.
dressed geese can be kept week with
out danger of injury.
Many of the geese eaten in English
cities during the winter come from coun-
tries on the continent, chiefly from Hol-
t,,,& g.
brought over In vessels and are driven
through the country TO farms. where
they are fattended for the market. Most
of these foreign geese are landed at Har-
wick, and are driven into Cambridge
and Norfolk Counties TO be fed. They
suffer from sea-sickness during their
passage and from inconsistencies after
they reach their destination. They also
become very foot-sore during their long
march. They soon become contented,
however. and have an excellent appe-
tite. On account of the condition of
their feet they remain very quiet on
their feeding ground. and lay on fat
much more rapidly than geese that are
constantly moving about. They are
generally fed about five weeks before
they are sent 70 market. Individual
breeders not infrequently purchase and
fatter as many as eight thousand geese
in the course of a year. The breeders
arrange with marketmen In relation 10
the number of geese that shall be sent
at any given time. They are killed.
plucked and nicely packed in baskets or
crates before they are sent 20 market.
Finely-fsttened geese, well dressed, and
not over ten months old, ordinarily
bring a shilling, or twenty-five cents,
per pound during the winter holidays.
There would seem to be little diff
Guilty in sending either live or dressed
geese from this country TO England.
The steamers now make such good time
that during cold weather dressed geese
could be sent from New York TO Liver
pool without danger of injury. Live
geese would suffer less from transpOrta-
ton by rail than live cattle, sheep and
pigs do. A car having four floors or
decks" could accommodate thousand
geese without crushing them. IL found
necessary, they could be let out for the
purpose of obtaining rest, as cattle now
are. Geese can be raised very cbeaply
In all the Northern States. Food is
abundant, the range" ample, aud water
generally within easy reach. In densely-
populate countries like England and
Holland most of the land is too valuable
to keep geese on with profit. Unless
restrained by tight fences, they would
wander into meadows, cultivated fields,
and gardens, and do great damage.
There are many places in the West
where a person could keep thousand
geese without any expense for land.
Many thousand are annually raised on
the outskirts of this city at very trifing
cost for food. They live chiefly on grass
and garbage till they are penned up to
be fattened.-Chioago Times.
The New Yorker, says = foreign
Il -. hannV when