Home Production of Poultry. 345 



since improved upon this, and liavc experimented largely with 

 different apparatus ; the results at present not being practical 

 enough for poultry-breeding in ordinary circumstances. 



In the latest inventions the " principle " consists in submitting a 

 layer of eggs to a uniform "moist heat " of 104^ or 105^, applying 

 the heat mainly to the top side of the e^^, where the germ floats, 

 providing for the access of air, and once a day moving the eggs 

 and lowering the temperature about 10° for a quarter of an hour — 

 the contraction and expansion probably effecting a slight venti- 

 lation of the interior of the eg^g through the porous shell. In 

 fact, Nature is followed as closely as possible. 



In a little volume, entitled ' Eggs and Poultry as a Source of 

 Wealth,' is a description of an incubator invented by M. Carbon- 

 nier, in which a tray full of eggs is placed under a tank of water 

 kept heated by a lamp ; but simple as the contrivance is, there 

 appears to be no provision for dispensing with almost continued 

 attention to the lamps and the thermometer. Messrs. Crook, of 

 Carnaby Street, Regent Street, have produced a verv successful in- 

 cubator, in which trays of eggs are placed in compartments heated 

 by hot-water jackets, with a hot-water space immediatelv above 

 the eggs, while a current of comparatively cool air passes below 

 them. The lamp burns " a highly rectified non-explosive oil," 

 and the burner consists of a brass tube pierced with five minute 

 holes, filled with cotton-thread to draw up the oil. In lighting 

 the lamp a piece of burning paper is held against the tube till 

 the vapour from the oil ascends and is ignited ; and this lamp will 

 burn for forty-eight hours with once trimming. The prices 

 range upwards from 50^. 



The incubator of Mr. John Brindley, of St. Alkmund's, 

 Derby, is a very compact little apparatus ; the heat is obtained 

 by means of a metal boiler, and the cover is of glass, allowing 

 the whole process of hatching to be seen. Another incubator, 

 Minasi's patent, is manufactured by Mr. John Baily, of Mount 

 Street. It is made in two sizes, for 100 or 200 eggs, and besides 

 hatching, provides for the artificial nursing of the chickens 

 till they are three weeks old. The eggs are placed in drawers, 

 which are then raised by " lifts," till the eggs touch the 

 under side of a number of sand-bags, kept heated by a hot- 

 water vessel above ; and the temperature of the eggs is regulated 

 by raising or lowering the drawers, as well as by altering the 

 flame of the lamp. When gas is not available a Halliday's 

 naphtha-lamp is used. "Nurseries," or boxes, with "artificial 

 mothers," and a feeding-cage, are arranged on the top of the 

 apparatus, and kept warm by the same hot water that hatches 

 the eggs beneath. The price of the largest size runs as high as 

 21/. ; and the working results are spoken of as generally sue- 



