114 THE DOMESTIC FOWL. 



from 101° to 102° F. When uniformly kept in that 

 degree of warmth, the period of incubation was gen- 

 erally hastened two days. The chickens arrived at 

 maturity six weeks earlier than those hatched the 

 natural way, but were more susceptible to the climate. 

 Notwithstanding, they were sweeter, better-flavored, 

 and more tender in their flesh, and commanded a higher 

 price in market than other fowls, the business proved 

 unprofitable, and was abandoned with disgust. Several 

 other establishments were commenced about the same. 

 time, on Long Island and elsewhere, on the same plan, 

 which terminated with similar results. 



Mr. Cantelo, a year or two since, established in or 

 near London, what he termed a "model poultry farm." 

 In this institution, numbers of chickens, Gruinea fowls, 

 and ducks, have been raised by artificial heat most 

 ingeniously applied by "top contact," so as to produce 

 the same effect on the vitalised germ as the heat of 

 the incubating hen. This heat has been proved by 

 Mr. Cantelo to be as high as 106° F. The eggs were 

 in fact hatched under artificial incubators, which allow 

 the inferior portion of the egg to remain cool until 

 warmed by the inward circulation of the blood, as oc- 

 curs in natural incubation, but not when eggs are 

 placed in ovens or heated apartments. " The differ- 

 ence," says Mr. Cantelo, " between top-contact heat 

 and that received from radiation as applied to hatching 

 is this : by radiation, or oven heat, the eggs will be 

 hours in arriving at the desired temperature, not only 

 when first put to hatch, but at any time afterwards 

 when they may have been allowed to get cool. The 

 eggs, of course, will heat alike over their whole surface, 

 and consequently evaporate equally from every part. 

 On the contrary, heat applied in top contact penetrates 

 almost instantly and revivifies the germ, and although 

 a much higher temperature is used in this case in 

 imitation of nature ; that is 106° instead of 98°, 

 still, inasmuch as but a small surface is heated, the 

 loss of moisture is much less than by a radiating heat. 



