714 
Report on the Exhibition of Implements, 
The following are the improvements claimed by Mr. Christy : 
1. The packing consists of a non-conducting material com- 
posed of desiccated cork-dust and sawdust surrounding iron 
tanks, in place of oat-chafF or felt round zinc tanks. 
2. The eggs are supported on perforated plates of metal, 
under which are trays of damp earth, experience having shown 
that more moisture is necessary. The closer the artificial pro- 
cess imitates nature the more complete will be the success. All 
poultry keepers know that a stolen clutch is more numerous as 
a rule, than box-hatched eggs, and one principal reason is the 
beneficial influence of the damp soil. I believe that Mr. 
Christy has recently extended the earth trays, so that the whole 
of the eggs are influenced by the soil. 
3. There is a free current of air passing over the earth trays, 
and under and over the eggs. 
4. The trays for the eggs can be adjusted for large eggs, such 
as turkeys, or placed nearer the cistern when hatching fowls' 
eggs. 
In order to ensure an adequate amount of moisture, small tin 
troughs are placed in the drawer, and kept filled with water 
and soil. 
At the trial at Hemel Hempstead last autumn, Christy's Incu- 
bator won the prize of 25/. in competition with three other 
inventions. The Report of the Judges, and the register of the 
temperature will be found duly recorded in Mr. Christy's 
pamphlet. 
The price of No. 3 set, consisting of a 90-egg incubator and 
stand, with an open-air rearer, and 24 yards of wire fencing, 
an egg-tester, pedestal, zinc troughs, and 2 thermometers, is 
11/. 155. 
The remaining Incubator shown at Kilburn was that of M. 
Voitcllier, of Mantes (Seine-et-Oise), which appeared more 
primitive and less complete than the others. It is reasonable as 
to price, and according to the cards exhibited, a large trade had 
been done. It comprises an annular water-tank of zinc enclos- 
ing a cylindrical space 20 inches in diameter by 15 inches-deep. 
The bottom of the space is made of wood, on which is placed 
a layer of sand and a thin coating of straw. As working at 
Kilburn, the space contained, besides the eggs, a glass of water, 
which is requisite in order to give the necessary moisture, other- 
Avise the eggs must be occasionally wetted with a brush. The 
box enclosing the cistern is square, and the interstices between 
the outside frame and the water-tank are filled with some non- 
conducting material, generally felt. The tank holds 65 quarts, 
and the heat is maintained by adding a certain quantity night 
and morning. The eggs are not, as far as we could see, ever 
