Morning journal and courier., 1888-07-31
CLUcK-cLUCK.


Poultl ymen generally have acceI ted v It'll.
out question the theory that perpet, al steady
heat is necessary to the successful Matching
OF chickens-leastwise, that the e6 70 must
never be cold after the process of int ubation
is fairly under way. Mr.. Rankin, the inven-
tor OF one of the best of those modern luxu-
ries, the incubator, claims that before launch
ing out with his invention, he watched q hen
I through all the period, noting the frequency
and length of time of her absence, how often
she turned her eggs and other details that
might help him. But the main object of his
machine was to get an even, uninterrupted
heat from the starting point till the chickens
we're Matched. Readers who spent their early
NE IN the country and who had to do with
poultry, will remember with what anxiety
| they watched the brooding hen to zee If abe
returned to her duty within reasonable
| time-ffteen or twenty minutes was the al
lowance. If she failed to return in that time,
and refused to listen to the anxious Watchers
| admonition to hasten her movements. ten to
one she get chased down into the garden. and
when she was finally cornered under the
/ leaves OF the rhubarb plant, she was treated
10 tossing and bouncing that made her only
too willing to settle to her work AGAIN. r.
she oy accident absented herself half a day
there was not call for her to waste moro time
but the eggs were removed and put ont of the
wsy-sometimes, perhaps, sold to the travel
ing egg gatherer.
Now comes biddy story that knocks the
theory higher than a telegraph pole. A con.
pie OF weeks or more ago lad discovered
nest in the laying apartment of his coon thai
he had until then overlooked. A han was
Yainly endeavoring to cover the clutch of
twenty-five eggs. He was positive that was
her first day, as che should have seen her If
she had been there before" So the eggs
were removed to the house, but kept separate
from the general lot This was in the morn
Towards he al
eggs to the back door, clasped one of them in
his hand and brought 1t up in range of the
sun. 1t was well along towards Matching. 80
the eggs were returned to the nest and tbe
hen again Eesumed her efforts to cover them
Two days after, finding that other hens wera
adding to the already too large SITTING tbs
eggs were taken to an open shed, divided be-
tween two fitters, and the result wes to be
watched merely out of curiosity. it not being |
supposed that the eggs would hatch after 30 |
much knocking about Two days after-and
later developments show that this was the
beginning of the third week in the proee ga of |
ineubation-one of the hens quit her nest in
disgust, just at nightfall, evidently not car |
ing to be party to any such nonsensical ex-
pertinent. Her absence was not discovered /
until midnight, and as the eggs were "stone |
cold" it wasn't deemed worth while tn HINT
the truant and readjust her on the neat Tn /
the morning the lad missed her, and, not |
knowing that she had been absent all niebt |
he caught her quietly by the neck and put |
her at work again.
After all this racket, and in the face of the
accepted theory, no one had the least notion
that chicken could possibly be Matched from
the clutch, but things were allowed to 90 on
from pure curiosity.
A couple of days ago there Yves an unusual
clucking and scolding around the nesting
quarter and the lad made an examination.
Bis surprise may be readily imagined, when.
from the twelve eggs that had been forsaken
70 long, besides being knocked about and
,ooled off twice before. there popped no eirht
inc little chickens, strong and rugged, with
Indications that at least two more of the
dutch would produce something Hartford