12 



Notes on Table IV. — Moisture Machines vs. Dry Machines. 



The results from the 1907 Prairie State machines leave no room for 

 doubt that moisture increases the hatch and the vitality also. 



In nearly every other make the results practically point in the same 

 direction. With the 1905 Cyphers the results are not very different, but 

 I would like to try moisture earlier in the season, and in parallel hatches, 

 as was done with the Prairie State machines. 



With Prairie State machines, it will be noticed that the moisture 

 machine has less fully formed dead chicks in the shell, it hatches more 

 chickens, a higher per cent, of the fertile eggs, as well as a higher per 

 cent, of the total eggs set. 



There is a difference of 10.9 per cent, of the eggs set, or 13. 1 per cent, 

 of the fertile eggs in favor of the use of moisture. 



If a comparison be made between the two methods of operating as 

 to the percentage of live chicks to the eggs set, we find that all the moist 

 machines average 35.9, or if we eliminate those in which the tarry com- 

 pound was used we have an average of 32.3, whereas all the dry machines 

 give but 13.4, or eliminating the one in which the tarry compound was 

 used they then average 12. 1, or, in other words, 100 eggs hatched in the 

 machine when operated without moisture gave us 12. 1 chicks alive at four 

 weeks of age, and 100 eggs hatched in the machine with moisture gave 

 us 30.3 chicks alive at four weeks of age. 



Buttermilk used in the moisture pan beneath the eggs appears to add 

 vigor to the chicks. The buttermilk was changed every four or five days 

 in nearly all machines. I cannot account for the heavy mortality in the 

 1905 Cyphers set May 30th. 



With the Cortland incubator, through some accident, the lamp went 

 out. The incubator room had several windows open and a gust of wind 

 may have blown out the lamp. The chicks in this hatch I think were 

 chilled. Buttermilk gives sufficient moisture in nearly all instances to 

 keep the evaporation nearly equal to that of a hen. 



Whole milk supplied the moisture but did not increase the hatch or 

 the vitality of the chicks. 



When zenoleum was used the vitality was very good. 



As compared with buttermilk, one is led to believe that the acid of 

 the buttermilk has some, action on the shell or contents, hence a chick 

 higher in vitality is produced. 



Notes on Table V. — Machines Washed with a Ten Per Cent. 



Solution of Zenoleum. 



This substance evidently has some beneficial action, the exact nature 

 of which we do not know. The highest mortality, also the lowest, are 

 from dry machines. I would use this substance in every machine set, in 

 preference to anything we have used to date. It has worked satisfactorily 

 on one large poultry farm in New York State. 



