SECRETS OF SUCCESS. 91 



than those kept under cover, and very often liberty would restore 

 even many of those which had developed the unlucky symptoms. 



After these explanations, the secret of successful rearing 

 under machines may readily be summed up in a few sen- 

 tences. In the first place, the heat must be carefully kept 

 down to a point miwh less tJian any one would believe, who has 

 not either learnt by expeiience, or is not content to accept it 

 on our authority. When the mother is packed with chickens, 

 the heat rapidly accumulates. A temperature of 75 Falir. 

 under tile bottom of the tank will be found quite sufficient in any 

 weather but the severest frost, and in warm weather the mild 

 temperature of 70 is sufficient, the water still acting bene- 

 ficially by keeping that degree up during the night. At least 

 half an inch of clean earth must be placed on the floor every 

 night ; and every day dry earth must be well shaken into the 

 flannel strips, and left exposed to the air for an hour or two. It 

 is, in fact, much the best plan, and good economy, to use one 

 mother for the night and another for the day. A touch of paraffin 

 here and there will be very useful in keeping away vermin. 



For the first day under the nursery or hand mother, for 

 which a hot- water bag is very convenient, a little more heat 

 may be allowed; but it should not exceed 80, and the 

 chickens should after that be transferred to the larger ap- 

 paratus. If that has glass covers to a small yard, as shown 

 in Fig. 22, these must be removed in all dry weather, and 

 always kept freely raised for ventilation. After the first day 

 or two, the chickens must not be confined, but allowed to run 

 out freely in fact, an open front to the park then answers 

 better than a small door. It will also be found that a series 

 of small mothers answer much better than very large ones, as a 

 number of chickens foul the air underneath to an injurious 

 extent. The expense of these need not l>e great, since, after 

 a very few weeks, no artificial heat whatever is required, and 

 the mere covering apparatus will be sufficient. 



