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them to fit two or three Days before they are 

 turned off their Nefts. There remains another 

 Thing in the Praftice of fetting Eggs, which I 

 look upon to be very trifling, and that is the 

 /hiring or picking out thofe which are addle ; if 

 a Cletch are a Fortnight of gathering, and kept 

 the fame Quantity of Time before they are fet, 

 in cold Weather, as is very common, there will 

 then be as many addle as otherways, and it may 

 not be amifs upon fuch Sufpicion to examine 

 them ; but if Eggs are gathered as they ought 

 to be, tho' it be a Fortnight from one Hen, and 

 kept in a Place where there is a moderate 

 Warmth, and fet immediately after the Num- 

 ber of eleven are gathered, which Number I 

 would not exceed early in the Year, what Ne- 

 neffity can there be for endeavouring to find out 

 fuch as are addle but I have no Notion of hav- 

 ing many fuch, for I can fafely take it upon 

 Oath, in the Year 1741,1 fet upwards of an hun- 

 dred from four odd Hens, and had only four faul- 

 ty in the whole Number ; and the greateft Fail- 

 ing that I find among Breeders with regard to 

 fetting Eggs, is the Neglect of providing fitting 

 Hens in due Time, for it is proper they fhotild 

 be procured three or four Days before there is 

 Occafion for them, during which Time they 

 will have Laid out all their Rucking Eggs, and 

 be fure to fitfteady ; but leaft they fliould not, 

 or an Egg be added to the Number, which 

 ihould be all mark'd, 'tis proper to examine eve- 

 ry Ncft two or three Days after they are let : 

 There is a great deal alfo in forming a Neft after 

 F a a 



