The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-08-10
The Poultry Industry in China

The breeding and rearing of fowls
is an important industry in China, as
they form very considerable portion
of the daily food of the better class of
the people. The United States consul
at Chin Kiang says that the varieties
of fowls are few in number. The
principal are the Yangehow fowl, a
large bird of good flavor, weighs from
four to six pounds. This variety is a
good layer and sitter, the eggs being
of brownish tinge and good size. 1t
lays, during eight or nine months of
the year, about 200 eggs, ceasing only
in the hot summer months. This de-
scription is kept more for the table
than for laying purposes, as its flesh is
particularly good. The Langshan fowl
is distinct and fairly pure breed from
the Yangtze River region, just below
Chin kiang. Ii is large, heavy hand
some bird, weighing from seven to
eight pounds. The eggs are of darkish
brown. and of good size. The Black
Bone or Typhoon chicken is a distinct
fancy breed. In color it is white, and
its skin, legs, bones, flesh and comb
are very dark. The flesh of this fowl
is much esteemed, and, boiled down
into soup, it is prescribed by physicians
for certain diseases. The Chow is
another variety. This breed is small,
weighing generally from two to three
pounds. A pure white cock of this
breed is always carried on the coffin
at native funeral cortege, and is
sacrificed at the grave. Also on native
boats a cock bird is killed on the Chi
nesesNew Years day, and the blood
sprinkled on the bow to propitiate
evil spirits, and to insure good luck
during the year. Ducks are reared in
great quantities, and are largely used
as food, both fresh and salted. They
are all artihcially hatched, as the duck
is an uncertain sitter. The common
duck is good sized bird, weighing,
when dressed for the table, three or
four pounds, and is much esteemed
for the excellence of its flavor. After
iedging, the birds are driven about in
vast flocks through canals, and from
pond to pond, where they find their
food. They are brought under strict
discipline, and obey their keepers call
with extraordinary intelligence. The
Mandarin duck is smaller than the
common duck, and is beautiful bird,
with diversified and brilliant plumage.
1t is reared chiefly for its beauty, In
the grounds of the wealthy there is
always an artificial lake, where the
Mandarin duck is kept. They are
considered as emblems of conjugal
fidelity, and pair of them usually
form a part of wedding professions.
Preserved ducks eggs are considered
delicacy, and always form an impor-
tant part of Mandarin dinner. The
process of preserving them is as fol-
lows: A lye Of beanstalk and lime is
made by burning these to powder.
This is put in water, black tea leaves
and salt in certain proportions being
added. The boiling is continued until
all the water has evaporated, and the
residue becomes .caked and hard.
This is powdered fine, and the fresh
eggs are placed therein one by one
with little rice husk. They remain
in this preparation one hundred days,
when they are ready for use. The
preserved eggs will keep for several
years. When ready for use they have
the appearance of hard boiled eggs.
The shell is taken off, and they are
put on the table cut into small slices
and eated as hors Ie,,vre8. This
goose is generally of pure white
plumage, very striking in appearance,
of great size and majestic carriage,
much resembling the swan. The tur-
key has long been introduced into
China, and is reared at Canton and
Tien-Tsin entirely for foreign markets,
that is, for the foreigners at the treaty
ports. The peacock is reared in many
parts of China, and has long been
known to the people, though it is not
a native of the country. Its tall feathers
are used for the Mandarins in their
caps to designate official rank.
The gold and silver pheasants Of
China may be called domesticated
birds, as they are now so extensively
reared that it is doubtful if they are
found wild. There is bird in China
the cormorant- which is domesticated,
trained to wonderful intelligence, and
employed in catching fish. These
birds are reared and trained with great
care. A pair costs from five to six
dollars. They are taken out on the
lakes and rivers in small boat one
man to every ten or twelve cormo-
rants. The birds stand perched on
the sides of the boat, and, at a word
from the man, they scatter on the
water and begin to look for fish. They
dive for the fish and then rise to the
surface with the fish in their bills,