The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-07-11


this change them to a diet Of boiled rice.
They next give them bran mixed with
chat. and after time allow them to 60 to
the creek and forage for themselves. They |
are as careful of them during their baby |
hood as an American mother is of her
child, and for FIVE days after they are born
they try to keep them away from all noise
whatsoever They pen them in coop, the
bottom of which is covered with grass,
until they are two weeks old, and are very
particular to see that they are provided
with clear spring water to drink during
their first two weeks. When the ducks
are grown up and begin to lay their diet Is
regulated, and one is not allowed to sit on
more than twelve eggs. Every five days
during the sitting the farmers drive the
ducks off the nest into the water, in order
that they may wash themselves, and they
even regulate the companionship of the
ducks and brakes. Each drake is allowed
to have only ten ducks in his harem, and
he is divorced from them at the end Of
year. At this time, according to Arch
deacon Gray, who is the best authority on
this subject, the old brakes are sold and
new ones bought to fill their places. To
make the ducks lay the Chinese pull
feathers from their wings and tails, and
they believe that by starving them for
several days and then giving them q good
feeding they can bring about this object
There is a goose market at Canton where
are sold thousands of geese every day.
The Chinese are as skillful in raising geese
and chickens as they are in duck culture.
They bring the same care to bear upon all
things connected with them, aud regulate
the number of eggs to the sitting, accord
ing to the size of the goose. A small
goose, they rightly think, cannot cover as
many eggs as large one, and the smallest
birds are allowed to sit on only half dozen
eggs, while good sized one is allowed
from nine to twelve. They make their
geese roost at night upon wicker shelves,
rather than upon the ground, as they think
the damp earth is unfavorable to their
growth. Some of our best breeds of fowls
come from China, and we could, | doubt
not, learn many good things as to chicken
raising from the Celestials. They have
their poultry books as we have, and they
have many curious customs in regard to
them. They believe that the hens that
make the least fuss over laying their eggs
are the best layers, and they prize chickens
with short feathers They fatten fowls by
giving them paste of -four mixed with
oil, little bit of which they give to each
chicken daily. They are adopts in the
raising of capons, and they claim that they
can change the plumage of their birds by
different kinds of food They bleed under
the left wing fowls afflicted with certain
diseases, and they claim that they can pro
4 duce dwarf chickens by feeding the youne
oaes opium.
The Chinese prize droppings of fowls as
the best Of manure, carefully collecting
those of the geese, ducks, chickens ant
pigeons. Goose-dpug brings very higi
prices. In the use of such material they
often dilute with water, and they manure
the plants rather than the earth, squirtin:
the liquid article out Of watering pots al
the roots of the plants.
They have many ingenious methods t
; save their fowls from being caught by tn
hawks. The pigeons in North China hav,
tied to their tails whistles which make
| whirring noise as they fly through the al
+ and which brighten hawks away. [ wa
l for long time at loss to know what thi
sound was. | heard it many times da,
| in every city of North China. The goose
; herder protects his charge in much tn
same way. He has a sort of bamboo
whistle or tube fastened to the end of
rope-whip which he swings from time t
time around his head to scare away tn,
f hawks. Inasmuch as some of the goose
) herds number as many as a thousan
2 birds. and as the hawks are numerous ant
bold. it will be seen that this is not an un
) necessary precaution.
The Chinese are very fond of eggs, bu
they never eat them soft-boiled, and the
7 believe that an egg grows better with age
; Preserved eggs are one of the dainties o
l China, and it takes forty days to pickl
J them for use The eggs are covered wit
mixture of tea leaves, lime, salt and wood
ashes, made into paste, and are the
, packed away in wood-ashes, which, Al
over Cnlna, are Soiu " thc eSS- PaShSiS ~
, this purpose. The older an egg grow
after packing the better it is supposed t
be. There are methods of picking whic
{ turn the eggs as black as jet In som
cases they are stepped in water in whic
5 the leaves of fir or cedar trees have bee
boiled. The Chinese also pickle eggs i
t salt water, and they regard these salte,
eggs as good for medicinal purposes. The
S have certain festivals at which they Civ
| presents of hard-boiled, dyed eggs, an
t when child is born the family and friend
: celebrate the event by feast of dyed egg
! Ali told, the egg industry of China give
/ employment to many thousand people an
3 forms one of the important specialties
this very busy nation.