FRESH WATER WEIGHT OF EGGS. 69 



of the latter. The water also given to fattening 

 fowls should be often renewed, fresh and clean ; 

 indeed, those which have been well kept, will turn 

 with disgust from ordinary food and foul water. 

 The profit of my plan, of allowing the heaviest and 

 best corn to poultry, has lately been disputed, both 

 in France and England. The sum of my rejoinder is, 

 that I have simply recorded matter of experiment, 

 further confirmed by the following fact : In the 

 summer of 1827, a Spanish lady visitor persuaded 

 one of my daughters that, in her country, wetted 

 bran was the best food for hens, increasing their 

 number of eggs. It was tried, and the consequence 

 soon was, the hens taken with what appeared to be 

 a sore throat, and obstruction in that part. One hen 

 became so ill, that it was proposed to kill her. Soon 

 after, another was affected in the same way. The 

 bran diet was then discontinued, and solid corn re- 

 sumed, when both shortly recovered. 



EGGS. December 7, half-bred Poland hen matched 

 with the cock : began to lay on the 28th. On 

 March 1, 1806, she had laid 56 eggs, and after- 

 wards sat over 12 eggs. After incubation had com- 

 menced she laid two eggs, making the total 58, which 

 two were withdrawn. Her eggs unbroken weighed 

 from one ounce three quarters to two ounces each, 

 amounting, at one and three quarters each, to nearly 

 seven pounds avoirdupois. I had, from motives of 

 curiosity, deducted the weight of the shells, but 

 the memorandum is lost. The eggs of another hen, 

 in poor condition and ill fed, were small, light, and 

 the yolk unsubstantial ; the same hen, after good 



