ON AGRICULTURE TO CANADA 125 



cotton screen suspended before the perclies when the weather 

 becomes extreme, protects the combs and feet of the birds from 

 being frozen. In some houses with span roofs, the upper space is 

 packed with straw, which admits of top ventilation and absorbs 

 moisture as well ; but, with the proper amount of open front, the 

 straw is unnecessary. The main idea is perfect dryness of at- 

 mosphere inside the house. Dampness to any degree is fatal with 

 low temperatures, therefore the floor ought to be tightly jointed 

 and raised from the ground 6 or 8 inches, as well as littered 3 

 or 4 inches deep with cut straw or roughage of some kind. It is 

 marvellous how birds thrive and lay in the coldest weather when 

 housed as above described. 



Feeding 



The tendency at the present time is to feed dry grain and dis- 

 continue mash foods. It is admitted that mash foods may force 

 growth in the young birds, and also stimulate egg production, but, 

 for breeding stock, the eggs are considered to hatch better and give 

 stronger chicks when dry food only is used. Sometimes sprouted 

 grain, or grain steeped in boiling water, is given, also clover leaves 

 or cut clover which has been well steeped in boiling water. Green 

 food, such as mangels, turnips, cabbage, and sugar beets, is freely 

 fed, also animal meal or green bone. The self-feeding hopper 

 system is quite commonly adopted for grain, bran, etc., and also 

 for oyster shell and grit. Where wet mash food is used the practice 

 is tending towards giving it at night instead of in the morning. 

 The custom of scattering grain in the litter is universal, and alto- 

 gether the methods of feeding seem to be most intelligently 

 understood. 



Incubation 



The use of incubators is decidedly on the increase, though 

 opinion is divided between the natural and artificial methods of 

 hatching. Where more than 150 or 200 chickens have to be reared, 

 and where the varieties are non-broody, incubators may be con- 

 sidered a necessity. As already indicated some most interesting 

 experiments are at present being conducted by Mr Graham at 

 Guelph on incubation. It has already been ascertained that the 

 hen differs from the incubator in having less evaporation of the egg 

 content during incubation, and also in having a much higher amount 

 of carbonic acid gas in the air immediately surrounding the eggs. 

 Chemical analysis of new hatched chickens has shown that there 

 is more lime in hen-hatched chicks than in chicks hatched in a dry 

 incubator, and further, that the vitality of the chicks hatched in 

 the various machines operated ascends according to the lime 

 contents of the chicks. In other words, the more lime or ash in a 

 chick the better it grows, and the less lime or ash the weaker the 

 chick. With incubators the humidity of the atmosphere has been 

 studied, and experiments conducted by the introduction of carbon 

 dioxide. Disinfectants in the machines, such as mercuric chloride 



