The Colony Plan. 71 



of pure, cool air. A long shelf at convenient height contains an oil can, 

 matches, lamp-rag, etc. The lamps are lifted to the shelf, the screw cap 

 removed and filled. A puff of the burning lamp tells him when it is full. 

 The oil can is always left open so that no gas can gather in it to cause an 

 explosion. Now the lamp is extinguished, the hinged burner turned back 

 without removing the tin chimney, and a sharp knife drawn across the 

 top of wick tube, removing soot, charred wick, etc. As soon as the 

 burner is wiped clean, care being taken to remove all particles of dirt from 

 the perforated brass which admits fresh air to the flame, the match is 

 applied. The burner is still hot, and the piece of emery paper above the 

 shelf is so located that the same stroke which ignites the match, brings it 

 across the top of the wick, and lights it, without waiting to see whether the 

 wood of the match is going to ignite. Five quarts of oil and 15 minutes' 

 time are required for the 10 lamps. They will need no more attention for 

 24 hours. The brooders in Nos. 9 and 10 must be got ready for the chicks 

 now hatching. They are scraped as clean as possible, smeared with 

 kerosene as a preventive of lice, and the floor under the hover covered 

 with sand. They will be nice and warm by the time the chicks are ready 

 for removal to-morrow. The drinking fountains are next filled with fresh 

 water, and the regular morning work is accomplished by 8.30 A. M. 



PACKING EGGS. — "The work of cleaning, stamping and packing the 

 eggs for the market usually falls to some of the women folks, but Jesse 

 relieves them of it to-day. There are 845 eggs in the baskets gathered 

 yesterday. These are first placed in a large tin pan, and sufficient luke- 

 warm water poured over them to cover them. With a washrag spread over 

 the palm of the left hand he takes them out of the warm water one by 

 one with the right hand, gives one end of the egg a turn against the cloth- 

 covered palm of the other hand, reverses and gives the other end of the 

 egg a turn, laying them in regular rows on a thick soft cloth covering the 

 long table on which he works in the wash room. An occasional egg that 

 is badly stained is laid one side, to be recleaned' later on with vinegar oi 

 sapolio. The heat retained from the lukewarm water in the pan causes 

 them to dry quickly as they lie on the soft cloth, retaining the peculiar 

 glow of the new-laid egg. Before he packs them in crates, each egg is 

 touched with a small rubber stamp, made on a very soft air cushion, 

 placing the name and address of the producer on its sfiell. Every egg we 

 ship to market is expected to carry a little bit of character with it, and 

 send back in return a little bit of extra cash. It will take him about two 

 hours to clean and pack the 845 eggs, and while he is doing it I drive to 

 town with our regular shipment of eggs, and bring back our regular supply 

 of skim-milk. He would have had ample time for this also. The advent 

 of wife and baby has not spoiled his zest for the boyish sport of fishing. 

 Long before my return from town he is at the pond, with rod and gun. 



