180 Profitable Potdtry Keeping. 



turbed, the former being again filled with boiling water, the 

 heat from this will gradually affect the lower body, and prevent 

 its going down. By repeating this every twelve hours, the 

 heat in the egg drawer can be maintained at almost any 

 degree of temperature, with a scarcely perceptible variation, 

 and, as there is no great expense in the making of such a 

 machine, no intricate mechanism to get out of order, no cost 

 for gas or oil, or combustion of these latter to vitiate the 

 atmosphere, the advance upon the old system is very great, 

 and, in practice, the hydro-incubator has been found very 

 simple and efficient, so that now there are large numbers in 

 operation. The inventor of this machine has stated that, in 

 one year he hatched upwards of 44,000 chicks in these 

 machines. In the district of France where he lives, the 

 poultry keepers bring their eggs to him to be hatched, and go 

 three weeks afterwards for the chicks, one in three of the 

 birds thus brought out being paid for the trouble involved. 



Hydro-incubators, on their introduction to our breeders, 

 had to contend with a very great deal of prejudice and oppo- 

 sition. They were altogether against all preconceived notions, 

 and apparently were more for playthings than actual work, 

 The very fact of having to supply a gallon or two of boiling 

 water twice a day was deemed too great a trouble ; but a few 

 bolder spirits tried the machines, found them succeed very well 

 indeed, and, at a public trial held in 1879, the hydro came off 

 victorious, which was sufficient to give it a position at once. 

 Many defects had by this time been remedied, so as to make 

 it more fitted for Great Britain ; and the rearers sent out with it 

 were found to be, beyond all question, first-rate things. Thus 

 the hydro at once silenced all opponents, and, from its com- 

 paratively low price, at once became the machine. We believe 

 we are right in saying that of its opponents in the trial of 

 1879, only one machine is now to be purchased, the others no 

 longer being made. This success has made artificial incuba- 



