TESTING THE EGGS. 39 



purpose, which more completely stop the light, the eggs can be 

 distinguished at an earlier period, and a practised hand can 

 tell the unfertile eggs even at the fourth day. Should the 

 number withdrawn be considerable, four batches set the same 

 day may be given to three hens, or even two, and the remainder 

 given fresh eggs ; and if not, the fertile eggs will get more 

 heat, and the brood come out all the stronger. The sterile 

 eggs are also worth saving, as they are quite good enough for 

 cooking purposes, and quite as fresh even for boiling as nine- 

 tenths of the Irish eggs constantly used for that purpose. 



Fig. S. Sterile and Fertile Eggs. 



It is a common mistake to set too many eggs. In summer, 

 a large hen may have thirteen, or a Cochin fifteen of her own 

 but in early spring eleven are quite enough. We have not 

 only to consider how many chickens the hen can hatch, but 

 how many she can cover when they are partly grown. If a 

 hen be set in January, sho should not have more than seven or 

 eight eggs, or the poor little things, as soon as they begin to 

 get largo, will have no shelter, and soon die off. It is far 

 better to hatch only six and rear five, or may be all, to health 

 and vigour, than to hatch ten and only probably rear three 

 puny little croatnros, good for nothing but to make broth. 

 For April and May broods, such a limitation is not needed; 



