Daily Kennebec journal., 1905-11-09
STATE HOUSE.
The Governor and Council
Will Meet, Today.
"A Few Things About Duck
Raising in Maine.
Stale Dairy Conference 10 be Held in
PiisfieId, Dec. 81.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Next Meeting of Governor and Council,
Thursday, Nov. 9, at 10 A. M.

Among the large amount of interest
ing matter which will be contained In
the Forthcoming report of the bureau
of industrial and labor statistics, will
be a chapter on the poultry industry of
the State, and Included therein will be
the description of Il duck farm, where
thousands of ducks are raised, every
year. for the market. The farm is To-
Gated in the town of Stockton Springs,
in Waldo county, and is owned and
managed by French Bros. G Co.
Strictly speaking, the farm is located
at Sandypoint, near the mouth of the
PenobscOt river.
An idea of the dimensions of the
business which is conducted by the
firm may be had from the fact that
according to the report of the State
board of assessors, for the year 1903,
the number of ducks raised during the
year was $4,000, at a gross value of 65
cents each. and total value of $12,350.
There is no other place in Maine where
ducks are raised in such numbers as
on the farm in question.
The variety of ducks raised is the
White Pekin. and as might he expect
ed, incubatorS are used exclusively in
the process of propagation, and thus
the little fellows are Matched out by
wholesale. Very few, however, Of
those which are hatched during the
season, are allowed to come to natur-
ity, as they are raised entirely for the
market, and are killed and shipped to
Boston as soon as they reach the age
of about ten weeks.
inr fno in, 1nn-
ton with the duck culture at the farm
is that although ducks are us natural
ly associated with water as turkey is
with the Thanksgiving dinner, the
ducks raised there have nothing 20 do
with water in any way except that
which is furnished them for drinking
purposes. and this is kept in troughs
with Stats across them, so thai the
duck has no chance to get in and have
a swim. but has to be content with
pOking his head between the Stats.
The farm on which the ducks are raised
covers seven acres or thereabOuts, and
is located mainly on a hillside, and in
sight of PenObscot bay, but although
plenty of water is within reach of the
ducks. they do not know what it is 10
enjoy the swim that is one of the chief
characteristics of their more fortunate
kindred.
Major c. ]. House. clerk at the bu-
reau, visited the farm during the past
summer. in order to procure The ma
terial to be published in the report.
and will furnish a very interesting
article. Major House states that
when the farm is viewed from the
decks of the steamers, when coming
up the bay, the spectacle is a remark
able one, and the ducks are 50 thick
on the hillsides that ona would almost
get the idea that the land We're COW
cred with snow. with occasional
patches of green grass scattered
through the fields. But on arriving at
the farm. the illusion is dispclled. and
the snowy apparition resolves itself
into thousands of waddlinS, quacking
ducks, all white, and each so ike the
Other that his own mother would not
know him, even had ne been hatched
under the breast of the mother duck,
instead of through the agency of an
incubator.