JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
176 
itself incomparably superior to the rest. We know that many 
slight accidental circumstances which may easily he overlooked 
greatly affect both the register of temperatures and the general 
result; and it therefore seemed to us that the opinion of an un¬ 
biassed mind upon the merits and demerits of each incubator 
would be more valuable than published registers of their tempera¬ 
tures. in that a person who constantly watches them can make 
allowance for such accidents more fairly than their effect could 
possibly be explained. At present, unfortunately, from various 
circumstances, the chief of which was the inability this year to 
command a sufficient supply of water for hydro-incubators, we 
have tried but one. We shall not mention the name of the maker 
lest we should seem to advertise one machine before giving 
others a fair trial. It is an incubator, the water in which is 
heated by a lamp. It was in action about ten weeks, and almost 
the whole time under our own personal care. We had therefore 
full opportunity of making a few general mental conclusions, 
which it may not be useless to relate. 
The first was, that wh’le it was kept at as nearly as possible 
the generally received proper temperature—viz., about 102°, the 
eggs which hatched did so long after their due time—viz., at from 
the expiration of from twenty-three to twenty-five days. We sub¬ 
sequently kept the temperature at about 106°; the result was 
much better, and the time of hatching more normal. We found it 
best too to maintain this heat up to the last ; when we lowered it 
chickens died in the shell which had already been heard to chirp 
strongly ; when we kept it up weakly chicks seemed to receive a 
stimulus which helped them to come out. 
Secondly, As to the question of moisture. We have all heard 
much of the absolute need of moisture, but we think that only 
those who have had practical experience of artifici.il incubation 
have any idea of the immense amount of moisture required—viz., 
that the eggs should be kept perpetually steaming. Certainly the 
spring was a remarkably dry one, but our incubator was in a 
decidedly damp place, partly underground. We began by keep¬ 
ing a trayful of earth perpetually moist underneath the eggs, 
and by damping them twice a day with tepid water. This was by 
no means sufficient; the greater portion of our first batch of eggs 
had perfectly formed chickens in them, but which died from 
either inability to break through the skins of the egg, which were 
almost as tough as casings of thin kid. We subsequently kept a 
large bath sponge in addition in a large earthenware saucer in the 
midst of the egg drawer; twice a day we filled the saucer with 
water. The sponge touching the hot cistern above caused so nmch 
evaporation that after twelve hours the water was often exhausted. 
The per-centage of chicks dead in the shell was then much less ; 
still many so perished, and the eggshells of those which came out 
revealed the membrane still dry and harsh, and utterly different 
from those hatched under hens. 
Thirdly, As to the much-debated point of the addition of more 
eggs during the time of incubation. We frequently added them, 
and so cannot fairly estimate the effect which the addition had 
upon the general success of our attempt. We are disposed to 
think that no great harm was done by it from the comparison of 
the results when eggs were more frequently and less frequently 
added ; but this we noted, that in our machine, calculated to 
hold one hundred eggs, after the addition of thirty fresh eggs it 
was impossible to get up the average temperature within twelve 
hours. This must necessarily do some harm, which might, how¬ 
ever, be much lessened if not. obviated by the fresh eggs being 
warmed beforehand. This suggestion is not original, but one which 
we lately saw in the pages of a contemporary from the pen of one 
of our greatest authorities on the subject. 
Fourthly, It is often inquired why so many chickens hatched in 
incubators come out cripples. The chief cause of this we believe 
to be the difficulty, already alluded to, of supplying sufficient 
moisture to the eggs. We closely watched many chicks during 
the process of self-extrication from the eggs ; where the mem¬ 
branes were tough and hard it took a very long while, during all 
which time the legs were unnaturally cramped up after they 
ought to have been free—from this in some cases they never re¬ 
covered. We believe that the struggling chick uses its hock 
joints much while twisting itself round in the egg, and for the 
final struggle to burst out of the shell. We observed many of our 
incubator-hatched chickens with hock joints largely swollen and 
purple with bruises. 
Fifthly, Our experience coincided with that of other careful 
experimentors in incubation, that only those eggs can be at all 
depended upon to hatch well when artifically incubated, which in 
any case would be thought the most certain—viz., those lately 
laid, and those from vigorous birds, where few hens are allotted to 
one cock. To put in eggs which have been laid long, or which 
have travelled far, or which come from weakly parents, is abso¬ 
[ August 19, 1880. 
lutely useless. To such the natural hen seems to supply some 
deficiency in a way which we cannot explain, and which is hardly 
likely to be artificially attainable. The time of year may seem a 
strange one to recur to incubators, but we would add one more 
piece of advice—viz., that those who wish to work them with 
success in the winter should procure them in good time, and 
thoroughly master their management in the autumn. We do not 
believe that any amount of care and intelligence can make it safe 
for a novice to put valuable eggs into an incubator within ten 
days of the time it is started. A month is a short time in which 
to study the various influences, atmospheric and others, which 
affect it, and to attain anything like proficiency in counter¬ 
balancing them.—C. 
FOWLS DUSTING. 
As most of the chickens hatched in 1880 are now become large 
birds, many runs are more crowded than early in the season ; and 
this, combined with the hot weather, always favours the increase 
of vermin on the birds unless extra care is taken to prevent this 
from occurring. No plan we have tried is so good for keeping the 
birds clean and healthy as allowing them a good dust bath. There 
are various ways of making this, and also different ways of making 
them take to it. Briefly, it may be said, nothing is so good for 
the purpose as dry powdery ashes, taken from the ashpit before 
they have been wet, and put under a cover of some kind to 
prevent them from becoming so. One bushel or so of dry ashes 
will do for a dozen or more fowls dusting in for a considerable 
length of time, and when a little powdered sulphur is shaken over 
the heap occasionally it makes it sweeter and more effective. 
There is something, too, in the manner in putting down the ashes. 
We have had dry ashes lying under a dusting shed for a month or 
more without a bird attempting to take a roll in it, and all for 
the simple reason that the ashes were spread out level and not 
laid in a heap. When the same ashes were thrown up into a 
round mound there was a crowd round it in a short time scratch¬ 
ing, and before long nothing but an intricate rolling mass of 
hens’ tails, wings, heads, and feet. It is a curious circumstance, 
which I daresay many besides myself will have observed, that 
some fowls have very little inclination to scrape on the level 
ground, but as soon as an elevation of any loose matter is placed 
within their reach they go into it with energy, and this always 
induces fowls which are backward in dusting to pass through the 
cleansing process.—J. Muik, Margam, Taibach, South Wales. 
VARIETIES. 
The Wheat Crop in America.—A recent number of the Nexu 
York Tribune states that “ reaping will begin this week in central 
Minnesota, and it is now believed by well-informed persons that the 
yield in that State will reach 35,000,000 bushels, if no extended injury 
should be sustained within the next six days. One week ago, with 
over 60,000,000 bushels of the crop still in doubt, it was thought 
improbable that the aggregate yield would be reduced below 
450,000,000 bushels. The probability now seems to be against a yield 
of less than 470,000,000 bushels, and competent statisticians maintain 
that, unless the weather during the next week causes serious injury, 
the yield will exceed 490,000,000 bushels.” 
-The Price of Meat. —Mr. G-. A. Haig, of Pen Ithon, Radnor¬ 
shire, points out, in a letter to the Times, that in spite of the im¬ 
portation of American meat, the price of meat is as high now as it 
was five years ago, when not a word was said about “ agricultural 
depression.” He says :—“ I have before me at this moment the 
Agricultural Gazette for July 21st, 1879, and for July 18th, 1874, and 
I find the quotations per stone of 8 tbs. in the Metropolitan Cattle 
Market to be as follows :—1879, best Scots, Herefords, ifec., 5s. 8 d. to 
6s.; 1874, 5s. 6d. to 5s. 8<7.; 1879, best shorthorns, 5s. 6 d. to 5s. 8 d .; 
1874, 5s. 4 d. to 5s. 6d.; 1871, second quality beasts, 4s. 4cf. to 5s.; 
1874, 4s. 4 cl. to 5s. So that beef at present is positively dearer than it 
was this time five years ago.” 
- Prevention of Potato Disease. —The well-known writer, 
Captain Mayne Reid, has been experimenting with Mexican seed 
Potatoes at his residence near Ross, thereby doubling his crop and 
entirely escaping the blight which has been so fatal to the English 
and Irish Potato crop of late years. He says that for the last three 
years he has been cultivating seed which came direct from Mexico, 
with the same result that, while ten other sorts, planted in the same 
