CHAPTER XXXVIII 



SPRING OF '97 



SAM began to make up his breeding pens in 

 January. He selected 150 of his favorites, divided 

 them into 10 flocks of 15, added a fine cockerel 

 to each pen (we do not allow cocks or cockerels 

 to run with the laying hens), and then began to 

 set the incubator house in order. 



He filled the first incubator on Saturday, 

 January 30, and from that day until late in 

 April he was able to start a fresh machine about 

 every six days. Sam reports the total hatch for 

 the year as 1917 chicks, out of which number he 

 had, when he separated them in the early autumn, 

 678 pullets to put in the runs for laying hens, 

 and 653 cockerels to go to the fattening pens. 

 These figures show that Sam was a first-class 

 chicken man. 



We secured 300 tons of ice at the side of the 

 lake for $98, having to pay a little more that 

 year than the last, on account of the heavy fall 

 of snow. 



The wood-house was replenished, although there 

 was still a good deal of last year's cut on hand. 

 We did not fell any trees, for there was still a 

 considerable quantity of dead wood on the ground 



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