The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1882-12-23
GOOD FAT CAPON."


10 AA"" II n 4 t0t RAhHASt anu Il
" What Cost.
Is New York World
~ as it not about fine for capon Pr a re
q porter asked the proprietor Of one of tn
large hotels.
5 almost" was the answer. 81 expec
u to serve up this prime favorite of the cpl
S cure in few days. 1t is always greatly
+ sought after by those who understand
d what good living is l think Sydney
Smith must have had capon when he said
Fate cannot harm me; l have dined to-
D day"
What do you pay for capon when il
first comes ?''
. u have given as much as SIKH cents a
= poun& for it, and have been glad to get it
at that price; but if you want to find out
! all about the bird go to one Of the large
poultry yards on the Hudson River or in
New jersey and see for yourself"
Following this advice the reporter visi-
ted poultry yard at Briek Church n. }.
The farm is pleasantly situated, and con
tains many novel expedients for the
hatchtng and raising Of chickens. Six in
cubators are placed in u row in a room
where the temperature is kept at seventy
degrees. They are all furnished with an
improved thermOstat bar, which il ex-
tremely sensitive These thermOstats are
connected with electric bells in the sleep
ing-room OF the manager. The doors and
| windows Of the houses are all connected
with Il buTglar-alarm in the same room,
SO that 4 chicken thief would receive a
warm reception should he endeayor to
force an entrance.
To avoid any change Of temperature
which would damage or kill the eggs, an
attendant is awakened by the ringing Of
It bell, drop exposes the number Of the
machine which is in fault, and steps arr
at once taken to restore the temperature
TO the right degree.
DO you consider the process Of hatch
ing eggs by incumbation q success ?" the
reporter asked the manager.
i do for q larger per centage Of chick
ems; and stronger chickens are Matched in
this way than by tine hen. The incubator
cannot break the eggs and will not neg
Iect them or destroy the chickens by eX
posuTe to the heat or cold"
What percentage do you obtain by
artificial hatchingW
From 20 to 50 per cent of the eggs are
matched. The eggs are tested by holding
them to very powerful ighton the fifth
day, when the embryo, if the egg be fer
tlla aaSilTr 40 Lott L.
and clear eggs are then removed. The
chickens are then kept for forty-eight
| hours without food. Their first food CON
sists OF hard boiled eggs chopped fine
After this they are fed most generously
and kept growing until the sexes can be
determined. The time taken to mature
them varies in different breeds, about
three months being the usual period. The
| pullets are then separated from the cock
erels, and the best marked are raised for
fancy stock, and when full grown sell for
from S. IS 80 trio. The remaining pull.
lets are sold as spring chickens or broil-
ers, and weigh from two and a half to
three pounds pair. The cockerels are
all caponized."
"DO ven sell many capons?"
"Ies; raise as many Of my fowls as l
can for that purpose. Lind they pay me
better than anything else. The capon is
considered the greatest delicacy in the
world, and will always bring a good price.
The capon at the end of eight to ten
; months will weigh from eight to ten
pounds, and it costs TO raise about 81 80
per bird"
when does the capon first appear in
the nlarketW
Late in the fall, and it is then worth
from 1orty to fifty cents pound. It af-
forwards declines TO about thirty-fiVe
cents pound, so that a profit ofoVer 200
per cent can be made out of them"
do you think that it is possible to OBJ
tain these birds at all seasons of the
year~
YES; l can supply them all the year
round. This, OF course can only be done
by Matching and, rearing them by artifi-
cal means. j have now running about
1000 capons, and ] attribute all my sue
cess te hard work, constant care and the
incubating machine"
DO you have any difieultyin caponiz-
ing birdsT
Emo. My method is very simple, and
if proper care be taken very few birds are
lost. Alter the operation the birds WhoIe
nature and constitution seem to Change.
They expand, lose their comb and wat-
ties, and often their plumage viii fade.
They increase rapidly in weight, and
their flesh becomes delicate, tender and
delicious
Are eapens harder to rear and more
sensitive 10 diseases than sther birds ~
i have never found them So fCleanli-
ness, hight and proper ventilation,
warmth and shelter in winter, and reali-
larity in feeding is all that is required ior
their successful rearing
do the hotels and restaurants require
many eap0nsT
es; Delmenicc's, the Brunswick and
all the irst-class hotels have q Constant
demand for them, and often are Obliged
10 pay large prices to. obtain themn