MOTXMBSR 1, 1013 



T87 



Poultry Department 



THE AjAx incubator; a chemical which gives 



OFF OXYGEN WHEN BROUGHT IX CONTACT 

 WITH WATER, ETC. 



Mr. Root : — I read with great interest your note in 

 regard to incubators, on page 18, of Special Notices 

 in Gleanings. Exposing frauds based on pretended 

 scientific discoveries which the common people do not 

 understand, but think that, if it is " scientific," it 

 must be all right, lias always been a favorite work 

 of mine, and I have exposed some notable ones, as I 

 think your W. P. Root knows. 



That the "Ajax vitalizrr " has any good grounds 

 for its claims I greatly doubt. I doubt the main 

 assertion that eggs under a hen get more oxygen 

 than those in an incubator. On general principles I 

 should say that the opposite would be the case. But 

 in regard to the tablets which give off oxygen when 

 brought into contact with water, there are several 

 substances which do this, the most notable being 

 sodium peroxide. This, when fresh, gives off oxygen 

 with such energ}' as to set fire to some combustibles; 

 but I should not think it would be well adapted to 

 the purpose in question. 



Paterson, N. J., Sept. 20. John Phin. 



I did not mean to say there is no such 

 substance; but in talking with those fairly 

 well versed in chemistry they said they 

 knew of none. Now, this apparatus for 

 supplying oxj^gen to the incubator is sup- 

 posed to throw a steady stream — just 

 enough and no more to give the egg's vital- 

 ity and to keep it up during the last two or 

 three days of the hatch. I might explain to 

 our readers that friend Phin has a lecture 

 that he delivers in regard to the different 

 methods of producing fire during all the 

 ages past up to the present time. As a 

 chemist he is well known in scientific cir- 

 cles. In our town of Medina we are using 

 natural gas; and a little instrument costing 

 only ten cents makes a light by I'ubbing a 

 certain alloy over something like a file, 

 somewhat like the old-fashioned lighting by 

 means of flint and steel. The little ten-cent 

 implement is kept close by the gas jet, and 

 it saves both time and matches. 



Lafer.-i-After the above was dictated the 

 following came to hand : 



I note what you say in regard to the Ajax vitaliz- 

 er, which I have no doubt is as worthless as you be- 

 lieve; but there is a chemical made that liberates 

 pure oxygen when brought in contact with water, 

 just as carbide liberates acetylene gas. It is called 

 " oxone," and is used to produce oxygen for the 

 oxy-hydrogen light used in stereopticons and mov 

 ing-picture machines. I know this because my firm 

 sells it for that purpose, and I have so used it. 



Louisville, Ky., Sept. 30. Wi C. Furnas. 



I have been hoping to get some good re- 

 ports from this ajDparatus that has been so 

 highly extolled in advertisements. The fol- 

 lowing, however, does not look very mucli 

 that way, especially as it comes from such 

 good authority. 



In the April 15th issue of Gleanings you write 

 up the " Ajax Oxygen Vitalizer." I wish to say I 

 gave a thorough test on my Prairie State incubators, 

 and they did not improve my hatch any; in fact, I 



got better hatches without them. I gave them a 

 thorough test, as I ran 35 machines; so you see I 

 am in position to make a test. 



Pleasant Valley, N. Y., Oct. 18. Edgar Briggs. 



cooking food for chickens ESPECIALLY THE 



grain. 

 I very much pn.ioy reading your department in 

 Gleanings, and find your poultry articles very prac- 

 tical and helpful. I liave a way of economizing on 

 cost of feed which has saved me a good deal of ex- 

 pense, so I will pass it along to you and your sub- 

 scribers. My '■ secret " is to cook the wheat, which 

 makes more than double the quantity when cooked. 

 A quart of this cooked wheat will feed just as many 

 hens as a quart of uncooked wheat, though of course 

 it really was less than half a quart before cooking; 

 and .besides, the hens seem to enjoy it better. I cook 

 it in a wash-boiler on the kitchen stove when mv 

 wife is baking, so she uses the oven and I use the 

 top of the stove, and it doesn't take any extra fuel 

 and, besides, the hens seem to enjoy it better. I cook 

 water to five quarts of wheat, and let it cook until 

 dry. Sometimes to make it especially good I add 

 meat scraps and red pepper, always a little salt. 

 When I feed it I stir in some bran or alfalfa meal, 

 and I give it to them in troughs or pans. 



When the weather is as cool as it is now, I cook 

 enough for three feeds at one time. It must not be 

 kept till it sours. I use this only for the evening 

 meal, making them work for their breakfast. 



I keep thoroughbred White Leghorns exclusively, 

 because I think they are the best layers in a warm 

 climate, and are beautiful to look at out on the green 

 grass. They are also beautiful in the show-room. 



This fall at our Arizona State Fair I exhibited 

 some of mine, and won several blue ribbons and the 

 sweepstakes prize, a fine silver cup. Perhaps you 

 would be interested in hearing of the record I made 

 last year. 



Starting Dec. 1 with 110 hens, I raised 95 pul- 

 lets; and in August I sold some old hens, so the 

 latter part of the year my flock numbered 150. 



I sold 15,564 eggs. Of these 4249 went to the 

 incubator trade for hatching, and the others were 

 sold at prices ranging from 15 to 50 cts. per dozen. 

 For all eggs sold during the year I received $394.50 

 for hens, and fryers $85.45 — a total of $479.95. 

 Besides this we had eggs and poultry for home use. 

 Of course the cost of feeding had to come out; yet 

 even then it left me a nice profit. 



Hens pay well here, but I believe that good hens 

 well cared for are a profitable investment almost 

 anywhere. 



I hope you may live to see that hundred years — 

 any way, a long time yet to continue your noble 

 work of fighting the evil and encouraging the good. 

 Phoenix, Ariz., Dec. 2. C. H. TiDD. 



My good friend, I supposed our experi- 

 ment stations had decided bj'^ careful ex- 

 periments that it does not pay to cook the 

 food for poultry or other farm animals. A 

 few years ago, as you may remember, there 

 was a gi'eat craze for cooked food for do- 

 mestic stock, and cookers were on the mar- 

 ket for cooking, steaming, etc. Now, from 

 the result you have given in the way of 

 dollars and cents, we can not very well dis- 

 pute your theory. From one to two dollars' 

 profit from each laying hen in the year is 

 certainly very good business; but if I am 

 correct you have gone considerably beyond 

 the highest figure. 



