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42 it very much. It is little trouble, and in the end comes as cheap as anything which can be given them, as there is no waste. Many of the Aylesbury people for the first few days toast a stale piece of bread before the fire until it is burnt quite black, then soak it in cold water and put it in the water vessel; the young ducklings will then nibble away at it.

The people in the duck counties consider this a very fine thing. No doubt it does them no harm, and they think it does them a deal of good, which it may do. I have tried young ducklings with it, and some without it, and I do not find there is any difference. I prefer giving oatmeal in the place of the burnt bread. The former is less trouble, and the youngsters seem to enjoy it quite as much, and at the same time it is very nutritious. Those who are interested in rearing young ducklings will do well to give both systems a trial for the first fortnight. Of later years I have used nothing else but the oatmeal and biscuit meal for that period, but after that their appetites sharpen up and they begin to eat well. Then I give them a mixture of my own, and a little granulated meat, finely ground, putting a little biscuit meal in to prevent it becoming sticky. Meal in all cases should be mixed rather dry and crumbling, not too wet. It is a very nutritious meal, and the young ducklings grow wonderfully fast on it. I have had them weigh 6 lbs. at eight weeks old, and 8 lbs. at ten weeks old. If they are fed in this way till they get about five weeks old a good foundation is laid, and they make immense frames. When it is early in the season, and young ducklings are fetching