The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-11-15

The Southern Farm.

!: bers. They are hardy. They requir
only the cheapest shelter. For man.
months in the year they will obtail
the whole or greater part OF thei
living. Goslings are easily and cheap
~ reared. The flesh sells readily ant
!, brings good price. The birds arr
handsome; on water rivaling the beau
!. ty of swan, but yet few breed them.
One reason why so few breed them Ii
, doubtless due to the fact that they art
aquatic fowls. They love the water
. vet water Is not an absolute necessity.
We are not sure that as large, a pro-
portion of the few who do keep geese
have no water for them to swim in as
those who have pond or creek near at
hand, We have known many who
raised them successfully where water
was not to be had for such purposes.
Another, and perhaps the most intiu-
ential reason, is that farmers, rightly
or wrongly, are prejudiced against
geese. They say that they destroy
more value than they create; that q
flock which would produce $50 worth
Of flesh and feathers would destroy, by
eating and trampling dawn. $50 worth
Of hay in word, they do not think
they are profitable. But geese do not
need to run in meadow. They need
grass, but they can feed in pasture
as well as COW. Kept in meacow .
COW might destroy AS much hay as her
income would equal Regarded In
this light cows would not be profitable
The fact IS, geese properly managed
will pay handsome profit. During
the summer they can be turned into q
pasture, and SO long as the feed isgood
will get their own living Tney can
be plucked several times in season,
and their feathers sell readily at b |
high price. The eggs can be set eth
er under hens or under geese, the best
method being to set the earlier eggs Of
the filters under large hens, and the
latter under the goose which lays them
They do not lay large number Of
eggs, although we recall one instance
where q common gray goose laid over
fifty eggs. The eggs are almost al
ways fertile and hatch well. The gosl.
ings are easily reared. Their tender
est age being when they begin to
feather. For the first few weeks OF
their existence, they make very rapid
growth, and then comes the addition
al strain of not only feeling their
bodies, but also that Of clothing them
AT this time they need a little extra
care and feeding, and giving to them
Ii addition to all the grass they eat, I
corn meal Thoroughly scaled and season
ID with Il little salt.
They Should also at tllis stage OF
heir growth. be protected against
lrench'ng rains, as having outgrown
heir downy covering. and not yet hav-
ng gro wn their feathered. coat,
heir bodies, and especially their /
packs arc nearly bare, and they are
lnfitted to withstand the wet. But !.
nee feathered they become extremely n
lardly, and are almost absolute stran- II
'ers to disease. Foxes and extreme
sid age are their chief enemies. Ffiy
years is reckoDed as the average age Of Ii
he goose. although sofnS manage to !
each scor es and ten.
Goslin gs after attaining their growth
an be quickly fattened, and as there |
ready sale for such poultry, and as d
be prices realized are generally very .
att sfactory. the fowl. which has cost /.
'lmost nothing, except the exercise of /
lit le common sense to rear, affords a i
cry handsome profit.
1t is strau ge that in this land, where
he dollar is said to be almighty, and :
he people regard it as very moving ar \
ument, that SO few geese are kept: a
eese are profitable or improbable, &C g
ording to the manner in which they u
re kept. If given the use Of a pond W
n which they may enjoy themselves. o.
nd dive downin search of minnows %
nd tadpoles, they can supply them IN
lives with all the animal food they :
squire. They should also have pIen-
of grass. When geese are kept in "
Dandoned fields, and have access to
,nds they are profitable; but If they ]
e to be fed altogether they will be
,pt at loss. They often do damage
pastures, and destroy and waste