68 A REVOLUTION IN EGG PRODUCTION 



question "why" came up, and the answering "wherefore" was 

 that they must be hungry, but had to wait for a light before 

 they could see to eat. 



Observing, that when placing feed in the same manner 

 for these cockerels on bright moonlight nights, when no light 

 was carried, he often found the cockerels at ten p. m. or 

 later eating out of the box in the moonlight — he decided that 

 the "wherefore" to this "why" must be found in the fact that, 

 while fowls could not see to find and pick up food in the 

 dark, or by moonlight if scattered around in litter, they had 

 sense enough to know that there was feed in the box which 

 they could pick up without having to hunt, or look for it. 



Limited Fuel Boxes 



The author is endeavoring, in writing this book, to take 

 the reader through something like the same process of rea- 

 soning whereby he arrr^^ed at his conclusions, and the causes 

 which induced him to carry on further experiments. 



If we wish to heat a large house or building, we invaria- 

 bly either study the question ourselves, or have experts study 

 it for us, in order that the fuel boxes of our heating plant 

 shall be adequate to meet all possible requirements, under the 

 conditions we expect to meet, in the way of temperature 

 variations. On top of these possible or probable require- 

 ments, we make provision with a surplus space in the fuel 

 boxes, to care for any possible emergencies, defects, or leak- 

 ages, in order that our heating plant may be at all times 

 adequate. 



Now let us take a hen's crop and make a little study of 

 it in this light. Instance : a hen in a wild state, or in the 

 semi-wild state, in which they are expected to produce eggs 

 on the farms in the United States, we find that such a hen 

 picks up an item here and an item there — in fact is contin- 

 ually at it, picking up, or searching for opportunities for 

 picking up things. The bulk of the eggs produced in this 

 country are producec} on farms, according to statistical rec- 

 ords, and farm conditions are mostly such as are now being 

 described. 



The hens on farms have their liberty, and in spring and 

 early summer are able to pick up a good living, and produce 



