POULTRY KEEPING 557 



Moisture. This is another topic that has been freely discussed 

 in the poultry journals. A great many different plans have been 

 advocated for keeping the air in the egg chamber properly charged 

 with water. The simple plan of placing in the bottom of the egg 

 chamber a saucer containing a small wet sponge is as good as any. 

 There does not appear to be any better method than this of rendering 

 the air around the eggs humid. The amount of moisture required is 

 so little and varies so much under different circumstances that the 

 ingenuity and judgment of most operators can be relied upon to 

 provide moisture as needed. If the incubator is operated in a cellar 

 or basement, the air will probably be damp enough without the 

 further introduction of moisture into the egg chamber. 



Summary of the Defects of Incubators. Poor material, poor 

 workmanship, and poor arrangement are all to be condemned. Ma- 

 chines of poor construction, or constructed out of refuse material 

 from other lines of manufacture, will no longer satisfy the up-to-date 

 poultry man. Incubators made out of the odds and ends of other 

 goods, or with coarse, dull tools, are no longer in demand. Ma- 

 chines made by men who know nothing about the poultry business, 

 or who take no interest in that business and lack experience in oper- 

 ating incubators, are likely to prejudice the public against the use of 

 all incubators. The inspector should be competent. If he does not 

 know how to test every part of a machine and exercise thoroughness 

 in his work, one can hardly expect the output of his factory to give 

 satisfaction. 



Summary of the Good Points of an Incubator. Good material, 

 good workmanship, and adaptability of parts, or such arrangement 

 of the various parts of the machine as shall make it efficient, prac- 

 tical, and convenient, are desirable. Two dead-air spaces, good 

 strong legs, plenty of space in the egg chamber, good windows prop- 

 erly placed, a good thermometer located where it can be read with- 

 out disturbing the machine are all necessary and among the strong 

 points of a good incubator. In addition to these, there are a good 

 lamp one with a good burner and good chimney a good regula- 

 tor, a good strong tray properly placed, and a good roomy removable 

 nursery 7 tray below. All chips and shavings should be removed when 

 the machine is inspected or before shipment. Makers of incubators 

 must not lose sight of the fact that the construction of an incubator 

 is a living problem. It has to do with the promotion of life and is 

 not a mere matter of iron and wood. This business requires more skill 

 and better workmanship than does the construction of thrashing ma- 

 chines and fanning mills. This machine operates upon living prod- 

 ucts and it must bring forth living creatures, else it is useless. 



Purchasers should be cautioned against buying an incubator of 

 large size for experimental or farm work. The so-called 100-egg 

 size is large enough for the beginner. One tray and one egg cham- 

 ber are enough. 



How to Operate an Incubator. The agricultural papers and 

 poultry journals are full of information upon the management of 

 incubators, and many books have been published to furnish instruc- 



