Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-14

the carcass as "confit" of goose. the most
usual meat food of the south of France
while the legs, preserved in grease, form
an essential part of the famous Gascon
"garbure."
This potted goose is made by cutting
the meat from the carcass, half cooking
It. and then piling it into an earthenware
pot Hot melted goose grease is poured
over the whole, filing the empty spaces
Theoretically and sealing the top with a
thick layer of grease that turns white and
hard when ii cools. All through the late
autumn winter and early spring the
peasants turn to the "conft'' pot when
other meat is lacking. In the kitchen
goose grease takes the place of butter.
These people seem exempt from catch
ing colds.
1t is a goose land down there In the
city of Toulouse picturesque peasants
bring the goose livers or live birds to the
foie-g ras establishments al more or less
famous. Phenomenally fat and heavy
Iivers are exhibited In windows. Around
them rise piles of the round or oval
earthenware pots of the perfected foie-
gras product and still more luscious OBJ
long pates in their pie crust of lovely
brown. French foie-gras lis sold all over
the world America could do the same.
IT is a wonderful bird. Where the or
binary domestic goose averages from
seven to eight pounds. the weight of the
Toulouse goose wares between thirteen
and twenty-three in the normal state.
and between twenty six and thirty-two
Jounds after they are scientifically fat
.ened for their hverS' sake
ONLY automobilists who have done the
center of France from east to west can
form any idea of It's goose population
The goose has a bad name for general
Stiffness, yet | have never seen one come
TO grief beneath the autos wheels. They
love lettering in the road, and in one de-
partment there are L. TO-, 900 of them.
The census of the Haute-Garonne is
POO. go Toulouse geese. but the roads
are full Of them from Auvergne to the
Pyrenees and from Carasconne TO Mount
de Marsan. the total goose populat on OF
the section is set down at $500 900 Tou-
iouse geese, having an agricultural value
of 81. - apiece and meTchantable value
(after fatteningl of 81 riece. Which rep
resents total value of So 100000.
The meat is not particular tender or
lerfumed The Toulouse goose is vic
tim to its foie-gras-its fat liver"
Poor brave. big bird, From lettering in
he shay roads and lush fields. suddenly,
me day, he tor she) is cooped up In
age so narrow that there Is no room 10
turn, while the floor is SO strewn with
straw that il sinks in it up to the breast
1t is warm. silent and dark. Thrice day
the farmer comes and stuffs it with corn,
using a funnel and ramrod. goose can
digest over a quart of corn per day dur
ing five weeks, and many actually di-
gest over fifty quarts in the thirty-nVe
days. This corn is not soaked. but to Ia
clitate digestion little water is given
the lirl during the course OF stuihns.
Often salt and cornmeal are ADDED >oihe
farmers give soup, others milk. Inc on
lect H. to en- ar e he bi DIS liver
At the critical point they sell LOT mn
ing Every chi4d knows when the tat
tening is finished The tail spreads IKE a
fan, its feathers no longer touchins each
other. Then 1t is time to sell the goose
for its liver.
Birds weighing up to thirty-five pounds
and worth as high as So or 81 often nave
livers of enormous size. Livers weighing
four and one-half to five anu ohe-haiI
pounds are not rare. and the foie-gras
noting concerns of Toulouse and Nerac
pay goose market spectators from 90 to
90 cents per pound for the best quality.
Quantities OF Toulouse geese come UP to
Paris. Families In which growing chill