186 INCUBATION. 



than by making a few judicious extracts from writers of 

 acknowledged merit. I am not desirous of appearing to fill 

 my treatise with a large portion of original matter, as some 

 authors seem to have desired, while the greater portion thus 

 appearing as original, is but a poor digest of the writings of 

 others, the merit of which is often lost in the metamorphosis. 

 I prefer to say what I have to say, in my own way, then to 

 give you the best authorities, with no concealment of sources, 

 and unless I greatly err, this is the only way in which a work 

 of real merit can be produced on this subject. I am led to 

 these remarks in consequence of finding much matter in the 

 works now extant on poultry, that is assumed as the language 

 and opinions of their authors, which is mostly a re-hash of the 

 writings of certain foreign authors, dressed in an American 

 garb. The reader will find nothing of that nature in the pages of 

 this work, yet I claim no merit on the score of the value of 

 my own opinions and views, but simply on the frankness, can- 

 dor, and undeceptive manner in which it has been my aim to 

 write and compile this Treatise. Nolan says : 



You will recollect the eggs, to be productive, must be fresh, and not 

 exposed to bad effluvia or moisture, and while collecting, previous to 

 hatching, covered with bran. Some say pointed eggs produce cocks, 

 and round ones, hens ; and others, that if the vacancy caused by the air- 

 bag, at the blunt end of the egg, appear to be a little on one side, it 

 will produce a hen ; if this vacancy be exactly in the centre, it will 

 produce a cock. Not having faith in the above, 1 quote it for the 

 advantage of those who may wish to test its authenticity. If fresh 

 eggs are laid after the hen begins to sit, they should be forthwith 

 removed, and if she break any of her clutch, they should be carefully 

 cleaned away, and her feathers, if soiled by the broken egg, made 

 perfectly clean. Old hens are, in general, better sitters than pullets, 

 and middle-sized, plump hens, better than the very large ones. The 

 clucking of the hen, when she has an inclination to sit, cannot be 

 mistaken. It is best to have a few valueless eggs to put under a hen, 

 for a few days, to ascertain if she will sit steadily, before you intrust 

 a valuable clutch to her ; when you do, give her the eggs intended to 

 be hatched. 



Most persons prefer an odd number, the odd egg being placed in the 

 centre, and the rest round it say seven, nine, eleven, thirteen 

 according to the size of the hen, extent of her wings, and season of 

 the year. 



If any eggs get cracked during incubation, a small portion of paper, 

 pasted on the cracked part, has been found to be a perfect preservative. 

 Experience has proved, that the closer you imitate nature, the more cer- 

 tain you will be to succeed. If a hen lay out, in a private place, she 

 is likely to produce a chick from every egg. It is found that eggs set 



