the chicks died in those with thick .shells. It is 

 generally the case that they had just the right 

 amount of moisture for the thin shell eggs, and too 

 much for the thick ones. Would the moisture 

 gauge help the thick shell eggs in that instance ? 

 As the majority of persons have a mixed lot of 

 eggs, general directions must be given that will 

 give the best results, as a rule. If directions with 

 incubators were made to fill a dozen or twenty 

 pages, a great many beginners would slight them 

 and omit some of the most vital points; or they 

 would reject them entirely as too complicated. 

 But those who wish to get all there is in the busi- 

 ness, should try to have eggs as nearly alike in 

 character of shell as possible, to fill an incubator. 

 This is impracticable to many, but comparatively 

 easy where one has two or more incubators. 



Mason's Hygrometer consists cf two thermome- 

 ters, as nearly as possible alike, mounted parallel 

 upon a frame and marked respectively "wet" 

 and "dry." The bulb of the one marked wet is 

 covered with thin muslin or silk, and kept moist 

 from a fountain which is usually attached. The 

 principle of its action is, that unless the air is satu- 

 rated with moisture, evaporation is continually 

 going on. And as no evaporation can take place 

 without an expenditure of heat, the temperature 

 of the wet bulb thermometer, under the evapora- 

 tion from the moistened bulb, falls until a certain 

 point is reached, intermediate between the dew- 

 point and the temperature of the air, as shown by 

 the dry bulb thermometer. To find the dew-point, 

 121 



