1 78 Profitable Poultry Keeping. 



America tKan in many other countries ; and, wherever a 

 changeable climate is found there are great difficulties to 

 contend with, both in natural and artificial- incubation. 

 This is even exemplified in the difference between the south- 

 ern and the northern parts of the country, for in the former 

 chickens can, as a rule, be hatched some three or six weeks 

 earlier than in the latter. 



As we have just stated, many attempts have been made 

 to solve the problem, some of which promised to, and did, 

 attain a measure of success. A generation or two ago, 

 Messrs. Brindley, Schroder and Cantello, worked hard at 

 the question; and, in later years, Messrs. Vallee, Boyle 

 and Penman have done the same ; but, it is witi no idea of 

 discrediting those gentlemen, that we say, they did not really 

 help to arrive at the true solution. Mr. Boyle spent a very 

 great deal of time, and several hundreds of pounds, in his 

 experiments, and his machine displayed great scientific know- 

 ledge and skill. It was fitted with the best regulator we 

 have ever seen, which was so delicate, that we have known 

 it maintain the temperature for weeks, with a variation of 

 only half a degree, in most changeable weather. The incubator 

 of Mr. Penman was also very cleverly devised, and worked 

 well ; but, in both these machines, the mechanism made them 

 expensive, and the many fine and delicate movements, to 

 regulate the supply of «air, moisture, and heat, made the 

 working of them difficult, or, at any rate, too difficult for the 

 results. Doubtless the makers, and a few others, were able 

 to work them, but ordinary folks could not ; and, although 

 many tried, few succeeded in their endeavours. And, again, 

 gas or oil lamps were used as the heating power, the cost 

 for either of which was expensive under the system adopted, 

 and, not only so, but the great consumption of gas or oil, 

 charged the air with impurities, which often killed the germ 

 in the egg, either early or late in the process. And, in 



