MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 25 



high in the clear, 5 feet of which is below the level of the out- 

 side ground. It is lighted by six 3-light windows, carrying 

 glass 10 inches by 16 inches. The cement walls are finished 

 smooth and the cement floor is slightly inclined toward the 

 southeast corner where the intake of the drain is located. 

 This enables the free use of water from hose in cleaning the 

 room preparatory to starting the incubators. Two chimneys 

 extend to the basement floor and contain ventilating flues that 

 have no opening into the rooms above. Entrance to the room 

 is through a covered outside cellar stairway leading into a shed 

 at the rear of the building. The room now contains thirteen 

 3(5o-egg machines. 



In the directions which accompany certain of the incubators 

 which have been used at the Station it is stated that an artifi- 

 cial source of moisture is not needed in operating these incu- 

 bators except in very arid parts of the country. It is said that 

 in other places the normal moisture of the atmosphere is suffi- 

 cient to insure the necessary moisture in the incubator. The 

 experience of the Station indicates that except possibly in a 

 rather wet season this is not the case. It has been found here 

 that in an ordinary season if no artificial moisture is supplied 

 to the incubators there is too great an evaporation from the 

 eggs. It is demonstrable that many eggs fail to hatch because 

 of this dryness of the air in the incubator. It is not desirable 

 here to enter into a detailed discussion regarding experiments 

 on this point. It suffices to state the fact that in the Station's 

 experience better hatches have been obtained when moisture 

 beyond that normal in the atmosphere is supplied during incu- 

 bation. The most satisfactory way to supply this extra moist- 

 ure in machines where sand trays are not an integral part, 

 has been found to be by sprinkling the eggs with warm water 

 twice a day. The water is warmed to a temperature of from 

 !O4-io8 Fahr. The sprinkling may be done either with a 

 small hand sprayer or by simply shaking the water on with the 

 hand or a whisk broom. This is done in connection with the 

 regular manipulation of the eggs (cooling and turning) during 

 incubation. The application of moisture is begun as soon as 

 the eggs go into the machine and is continued until the i8th day. 

 Since adopting this procedure a very considerable 'reduction in 

 the mortality of chicks in the shell has been effected. 



