Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-05-09
MARKETING DOCKS In CHINA
THE FARMERS HAVE TO SWIM
THEIR FLOCKS TO TOWN.

That Is the Regular Method EN-
ployed by the Chinese Poultry
Raisers Who Live Along the Great
Canals and Rivers.
What would an American duck
FARMER think of swimming his flock
to market? asks Oscar King Davis in
the Youths Companion. That is the
regular method employed by the poul-
trymen who live along the great wa
terways of China The Chinese are
very fond of duck. Nearly every
farmer keeps few for his own use,
but along the rivers raising rnem for
market is a profitable business.
In America ducks raised for mar
ket have very little water in which to
swim and play. The poultrymen do
not think it is good for them to have
much exercise. It hardens their mus
Giles and makes their flesh tough and
not so good to eat.
So insteod of swimming all day in
ponds or lakes or streams, the ducks
are kept shut up in small pens, where
they have no room TO waddle about,
and can only stand still and eat and
grow fat. Then, when they are in
prime condition, they are killed and
dressed and shipped to market in bar
rels; and their feathers make an adj
ditional source of income to the poul-
tryman.
The Chinaman, however, is quite
content to let his ducks have as much
exercise as they like, and they get a
great deal hunting for their food, of
which they receive only small sup
plies from the poultryman.
One result is that tine Chinese duck
is a good, strong swimmer, and that
is a fortunate circumstance for the
poultryman when it comes time to go
to market.
He does not live on railroad. If
he did, he would not be likely to use
it, for to him it is 'new-fangled"
device for the spread of evil. He
knows, too, a more economical method
than putting his ducks in crates and
paying freight on one of the river
boats. Time does not mean much to
him, and he can afford to spend a
few days, if necessary, in going to
market.
When he picks out the ducks he
means to sell, the Chinese farmer ties
the leg of one to that of another with
a stout cord, and continues the pro-
cess until the whole lot is bound to-
gether. Sometimes there are hun
dreds thus fastened in one flock.
Ii is not easy to make such flock
swim together or follow the direction
desired. The farmer takes his boat
and starts to drive them, sculling be-
hind or drifting on the current and
beating the water with long bamboo
poles to make them swim along and
go the right way. If the farmer has
a large family and two or three boats,
so that his sons can help, he can
usually manage to get his ducks to
market without outside aid; but ii
he is not so fortunate, he will join
with other duck raisers and herd the
fiOcks in combination.
Thus it not infrequently happens
that thousands of ducks will be swim
ming along down the Yangtze, appa-
rentIy in one flock, with a dozen or
more sampans drifting behind them,
filled with men, women and boys,
threshing the water with bamboos 20
hurry on the ducks.
1t is hard enough to make a flock
of hungry, foolish ducks swim on
about their business when there IS
plenty of room and no interference,
but that seldoms happens on a Chi
nese river. Usually, these streams
swarm with clumsy, unwieldy junks,
and on the Yangtze there is a great
deal Of steamer traffic.
The friendly junkman will almost
always help the duck herders to keep
the fiocks clear Of the boats by beat
ing the water with bamboos, but
steamers have neither time nor in
clination for such bother, and so it
sometimes happens that a flock is cut
in two by a steamer Then there is
a great deal of trouble and excited
talk before the flock can be reunited
and got peacefully on its way again.
Sometimes, also, it happens that
ducks OF one flock get mixed up with
those of another, and then there is a
dreadful tangIe and snarl. But thu
patient Chinese get them separated
into the proper f1ocks at last, and all
go cheerfully together to market.