Rearing Chickens Artificially. 429 



a really fair trial, since under a partial attempt the chickens with the artificial mother are tempted 

 away to the hens with other broods, and thus get fretted. We were, however, exceedingly interested 

 to see, in May, 1873, the working of the artificial system as thoroughly and entirely carried out by 

 Mrs. Frank Cheshire, of Acton, Middlesex, so well known for her fine stock of Light Brahmas. 

 We saw there upwards of seventy chickens, all brought up under an "artificial mother," as one 

 brood. They ranged in age from three months to three days, but there was no fighting, or tyranny 

 of the strong over the weak ; not one had died (more than we could say of our own), and there was 

 not one sickly or discontented chick in the whole lot ; while we were most of all interested 

 to observe that the birds were larger for their age than our own ; and that the trouble was 

 nil compared to that of a dozen hens with their broods, to which we went back with a most 

 discontented mind. 



The " mother " was about four feet six inches long by sixteen inches wide ; the top, or heating 

 portion, consisting of a flat tank about one inch deep, with the top soldered on, and having only 

 one inlet for pouring in water or immersing the bulb of a thermometer to ascertain the temperature. 

 This tank extends all over the mother, and is kept in position by a wooden frame, which supports 

 it, at about six inches high at the front and some three and a half inches behind. Under the lower 

 or back edge, occupying some two inches of the under side, a flue extends the whole length of the 

 tank, which is provided with two chimneys, one at the end or corner near the lamp, the other at 

 the further extremity of the flue. This is necessary for such a long horizontal flue : for without the 

 first chimney the carbonic acid would flow back and put out the lamp when first lighted, though it 

 will freely travel to the further chimney when the flue is warm ; moreover, if the night be warm the 

 first chimney alone may be left in operation, but if cold, the heated air is compelled to pass along 

 the whole length of the flue. The tank has a partition soldered in it, round which the water circulates ; 

 and by this means the temperature hardly varies in any part. The lamp is merely introduced under 

 the end of the flue. Any good lamp will do, but Mrs. Cheshire's was the most simple and yet most 

 perfect in its action which could possibly be. A piece of small brass pipe was put through a loosely- 

 fitted cork (loosely fitted to give air) in a common glass bottle partly filled with benzine. This 

 bottle is laid on its side on the ground, and a wick being passed through the pipe, the nearly 

 horizontal position of this simple wick-holder enables capillary attraction to draw sufficient fluid 

 through such a length of pipe (eighteen inches if required) that the most explosive liquids can be 

 used without the slightest danger ; moreover, such a wick trims itself, as if drawn too far out the 

 surplus is at once burnt off, and a small and nearly smokeless flame produced without any trouble 

 whatever. This lamp is better trimmed twice in twenty-four hours, but will burn tolerably for even 

 the whole of that time without attention. 



Under the tank fits a frame which slides in and out, on the top of which canvas is stretched, to 

 which are sewn the ends of strips of flannel or felt carpet— about two and a half inches long by half 

 an inch wide— which give warmth to the chickens. Mrs. Cheshire informs us that she finds this 

 better than sheepskin, never entangling and strangling the chicks. Under the whole slides a wooden 

 floor, covered pretty thickly with dry mould, which is renewed every day. In the morning the 

 mother would have a little unwholesome smell from the bodies of so many chickens ; but our 

 ingenious informant had found an effectual way to remove this, which was easily done by turning 

 the canvas part of the mother upside down, throwing a few shovelfuls of dry earth among the 

 flannel strips, shaking the earth well in, ind after letting it remain a few minutes shaking all out 

 again, the little earth that remained adherent coming off on the chickens, and thus benefiting them 

 in another way. This, and the lamp in cold weather, was all the care required, beyond that of 

 the newly-hatched chicks, which was rather a pleasure than otherwise. A rail fence in front of the 



