Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-26
'our hours look after the chicks.

and O sixteen-year-olu boy, ana some
conception may be ha d Of tho economies
OF the Egyptian indus try. But here is
land OF tho mcet incomprchensible
economies land whose cultivable area
sustains population NJ seven hundred
human beings TO the square mile, with
camels and donkeys and horses and cat
tie and sheep and goats end fowl for all !;
o land that feeds not only its own living
beings dependent upon it, but which
contributes sustenance alued at $780,
600. 900 TO other portions OF tho world.
TIE MODE OF oPEBAi Ton.
On the particular subject OF the care
OF the eggs and the chicks Nj. Cardweil
writes
"To prepare an incubatory for the sea-
son OF incubation fires are kep,' burning
in the fire-grooves OF the ovens for eight
or ten days, expelling all moisture from
and heating toe entire structure before
eggs are placed in them. In tbs time
the whole of the walls and foo.rs be-
come heated and after this first be afing
little fire every day or two IN one or
more Of the ovens keeps the tempera-
ture at the incubsting degree. The
heating of the incubatory begins gene al
" after the middle of February, and with
March the work OF incubation IS under
full Roadway. No thermometer is Gale d
into reousition for the regulation OF tho
heat. the body Of the trained attendant
being the mercurial instrument which
records without error the temperature IN
the ovens He lives night and day with
his eggs and Matching chicks, and never
does the sensitive instrument record
false degree. His nervous franc IS
battery which never fails to work; it
opens or closes the sir-valve or caps
heat-escape at exactly the right moment.
Careful observation with the most per-
feet thermometer would show that this
marvellous human instrument checks
the heat before it reaches 100 degrees.
f., and never permits it to fall below ~
degrees for the entire period OF ope-
ration. which lasts about three month";
All moisture is constantly excluded from
the ovens.
FROM IyASIMATE TO A LIVING MASS.
"When the ovensare ready for incuba-
ton the mortar-floors are covered with
finely.ground straw to the depth OF two
inches and upon this are deposited the
eggs. each oven OF the model l have
used giving place to 1900. A passage
way is preserved from maD-holes leading
from the pnssaee-way into the ovens to
the man-holes connecting the lower and
upper ovens, and the eggs arc not
brought into dangerous contact with the
fire-Groves around their sides.
"Laid two or three deep upon the straw,
the eggs occupy the floor Of the ovens
between the central man-holes and the |
re-grooves, and four or five times IN
twenty-four hours are agitated by the |
attendant shifting them eight or ten inches
at time from right to left around the |
entire circle. This movement Is made
with apparent carelessness, dozens of
eggs being changed in position by
single move of the hand, and yet q sim
Gle egg among thousands is rarely crack /
ed ia the operation. For three weeks |
this treatment continues, and then,
presto, the contents of an oven are
changed from white, inanimate
mass to O living. stirring, strug-
Cling host of chicks, ten thousand
of them not making as much noise as a
single brood under hen. The little
things are handled most tenderly, the
shells being removed from the ovens as
rapidly as the chicks emerge from them.
Lett for several days in the warm ovens,
over the floor of which food is scattered /
for them, they gain rapidly in strength.
But thew are also taken away very |
rapidly by dealers and those who de- !
sire to raise chicks for the market, aud |
even o remnant of hatch does
not remain many days about the in
cubatory. When the chicks are not at
once sold the extra rooms about the es-
tablishment ore brought into requisition
for their care until they are disposed of.
The ovens are so charged with eggs as
not to have them all hatch at the same
time, and in q few days come those
two others. The operation OF Matching
is closely consecutive throughout the
season. Eggs of other fowls than the
common chicken are rarely Matched ex-
cept by the natural process Of incu-
baton, and / do not pretend to convey
the idea that very large percentage of
chickens are not produced in Egypt by
natures process.
OTHERS TWICE AS LARGE.
"The model of an incubatory pre-
sented by me is simply made after the
one / explored. There are Others IN
Egypt twice as large as this one and
many smaller. The proprietor of an in
cubstory at Msydoom told me the hatch
of his in one season reached 5O0,O
chicks. 10 build one in this country is
not attended with great expense. The
one L have described cost less than
81, 900. The expense of construction in
America would be far greater, but at
any cost l would not advise any OF my
countrymen to engage at home IN such
an expense without first sending to this
land Of ancient memories and strangest
custom for an Egyptian who knows how
TO construct an incubatory and Tor at
PENDANTS who understand thoroughly the
mysteries of the ovens and the treat
ment of the eggs and chicks"
"That's as true as I live" said the
stockbroker to customer. "Ies, but
how true do you live?" the customer
suspiciously inquired. - SomeroiHe
Journal.
When coward succeeds in convincing
the people that he is big with courage
his political fortune is made. His
bravery is q winning-card and his
cowardice keeps him out of danger
4 GuIreefon Ne,re