Artificial Rearing of Chickens. 
429 
On the Continent fawn-coloured or “ chamois ” Leghorns are exhibited ; also mottled and 
splashed birds somewhat resembling the plumage of a Houdan. Continental “ Browns ” are also 
divided into two colours, one much like our own black-red, while the other is a sort of golden 
partridge-pencilled colour. In America they have had a rose-combcd Leghorn, but this was con- 
fessedly a cross. On the whole, we consider a multiplicity of varieties, in such a breed as this, a 
distinct evil. It was as a hardy bird and first-rate layer that the breed made its way. To main- 
tain these qualities, no artificial difficulties should be raised up ; but, as we have seen, while the 
black has a difficulty of its own, most of the others, being the results of crossing, interpose special 
difficulties in breeding for feather, which result in in-breeding and all the evils this brings in its 
train. These evils have already become manifest in most of what we shall thus dismiss as minor 
varieties, and many strains even of the Brown and White varieties, are by no means what they 
used to be. It is not too late to preserve them ; but the way to do it is neither by multiplying 
artificial varieties, nor by laying stress upon purely arbitrary points like a spike in the comb. 
A cross between the White Leghorn cock and Plymouth Rock hens has been proved, by Mr. 
Annett and others, to be about the best forager on a farm, and zvinter layer, of any fowl tried in 
comparison, while a large number lay dark eggs. The average lay of fifty hens for a whole year 
was 152. 
The greatest difficulty in keeping any non-sitting races of poultry, like Leghorns, is the 
necessity of obtaining hens from other sources to hatch and rear the broods. Much can be done 
to remedy the inconvenience, even without incubators, by bringing up the chickens without a hen, 
leaving her to hatch a second brood. Americans have long adopted this practice, and it seems 
desirable to add something more in this place relating to the artificial rearing of chickens without 
a hen, and whether artificially hatched or not. 
The first great stimulus to artificial rearing in England was undoubtedly given by an “artificial 
mother ” brought out about 1873 by Mrs. Frank Cheshire, of Acton, Middlesex. The cross section 
and plan will show its leading features. The apparatus is heated by a zinc tank, shown at A B in 
the section, and C D in the plan, about one inch deep all over, and hermetically closed, with 
the exception of one aperture, H, for filling and for safety. It is fixed on the top of the 
mother in rather a sloping position, like a roof, and along the lower edge runs a flue, shown at 
E and E F, the flue being surrounded by water, and heated by a small lamp. The flue only 
extends to F on the plan, in order to cause circulation in the water of the tank, which is divided 
by a vertical partition, C D, from end to end, in the ends only of which are several holes. 
Hence the tank being heated along one end only of one side, the water circulates in the direction of 
the arrows. G G are chimneys. The lamp consisted of a simple tube coming horizontally from a 
vessel of benzine, up which was passed a wick, which was lighted at the end. The end of this tube 
is at J. Such being the heating apparatus, under the slightly sloping tank was made to slide 
