The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-12-20
PATTERNED IN 4 JIFFY.
Fed by Machinery and Kept From Exer- cising, Their Digestion Does tho Rest.
 From the Baltimore sun1

Ihere ls a poultry-ralsing eStapIisn- ment in Baltimore county at which all the modern appliances for matching and rearing chickens are in practical operation. and where the "stuffing' process of feeding. known for many years In France as engraissement. Is used in fattening both chickens and ducks for the market About 5000 chickens and as many ducks are an- nually fattened by this process at this place.
 The owner of this establishment Is an American who has spent many years abroad, especially In France, and he has made thorough study of the meth ods followed in the land where gastron- omy has been reduced to science and wheret inner man IS more assiduously considered than anywhere else in the world And 1t Is because years of ex- perimenting in France have proved that poultry fed by the process de Fen graissement are more toothsome and less expensive to the grower than poul- try fattened by the ordinary processes of nature that he has established this place in Baltimore county upon on al- most French basis.
 Incubators are by no means the cur iosities they were few years ago, when the public paid an admission fee for the privilege of seeing one in operation. Many farmers have improved on the old-time more or less careless methods of raising chicks or ducklings, but there is no other place in Maryland where the "stuffing" process Is in vogue with all its modern, humane, and economical appliances. The process Is based upon the simple principle that fowl will grow fat most rapidly when it is given the maximum of food and allowed the minimum of exercise. Fowls fed by "Iengraissement" are not only given all the food they can eat but all they can hold, and they are not given any exer- else.
 W ASAi ShC "oA n Ol lCGulllk lOWlS III this manner Is being put in practice which Is not the case at this season of the year-the interior of the feed ing-house is an interesting place. It looks like a large prison on a small scale, with tier upon tier of tiny cells reaching from the floor to the ceiling. In each of these cells Is a bird being prepared for market. It's quarters are rather confining, for 1t hasn't room to turn around in and scarcely room to rise to its feet.
 Running along in front of these cag- es. which fit their occupants as if they had been made to order, is a trolley track, high up near the ceiling, and from this is suspended the feeding ap- paratus proper. It may, by means of weights, be put at any height and may be moved alorg the trolley track from one end of the building to the other, thus enabling the feeder to put his ma chine in front of any cell he may wish.
 The feed, in the form of soft mush, is put in a reservoir holding gallon or more. From the bottom of the res- ervoir the food runs through rubber tube into another receptacle, the capac- ity of which is regulated by a screw, according to the extent of the meal to be given to the fowls at that special feeding. From the second receptacle protrudes tin tube about four inches long and as thick as lead pencil, and this tube is thrust down the fowls throat and into its craw. This done the pressure of lever empties the contents of the receptacle into the fowl and it settles down to rest, digest, and grow fat until meal time rolls around again. The fowls do not take kindly to this method of feeding at first, but after a day or two of it they seem to relish It's novelty and luxury and begin to crow and cackle in anticipation as soon as the feeding apparatus Is brought into use.
 The French breeds of poultry, notably Houdan, La Fleche, and Crevecoeurs, are best adopted to this kind of feed ing, probably because they have been accustomed to it 8 long time. At the Baltimore county establishment all va rieties of chickens are being used, al- though next year the owner intends to use nothing but Houdans. He is at present fattening Pekin ducks only
 Chickens for broiling purposes are put into the pens at the beginning of January and remain for two weeks, while ducks are kept there three weeks. The bottoms of the pens are covered with finely cut chaff which Is changed every day, and, during the fattening operations the fowls are kept at an in- variable temperature and in semi-dark- ness. They are fed four time a day. Each meal lasts about two seconds, and in eight seconds they eat more than they could in two days with the appa- ratus which nature gives them. !, 2
 L'engraissement has been practised in France for many years. Before the improved appliances were invented the operation was carried on in several ways. One of these, called engraisse- nent aux patons, consisted Of inserting little cakes of dough into the fowls mouth, and forcing them down with the finger In another case, engratssement d rentonnoir, the food, in liquid form, was poured into the bird through . fun nel. A third method, still more primi- tive, called gavage q la bouche, consist ed in the feeders filling his mouth with food and blowing 1t down the fowls throat.
 As soon after matching as they are able to determine, the sexes are sepa-