New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-02
OF INTEREST TO IHlTEJE GiRDENERS'

4 man named Corbctt. living up in Wcstchcster
c,,,,.' reports a new invention which ought -
interest that vast army Of men now engaged III
starting gardens Mr.. Corbctts INVENTION u
uothing less than an ingenious apparatus intended
- he attached 10 the common domestic hen, when
will prevent, or al least greatly discourage. her
effort, 70 uproot the garden He calls II the Cor
bc,, Excelsior Hen-Iobbe. and if he can get
.,nici.pt financial backing he will begin It's man
ufactuIc in This city immediately
", tris, thnt We need not enlarge 10 any very
Great extent on the peculiar tactics employed by
,le common hen in her campaign against garden
Her ,tcalthv tread her careful view Of the ground
first with one eye and then with the other, the
uonchalancc with which she throws back her lrit
foot once and instantly follows 1t with thT''
rand bacl, strokes with her right foot, her MUIR
ried survey OF the field Of operations with one
eve followed 10y the capture OF real or imaginary
,,orn. all this must be familiar TO the reader,
espccially if he ever had garden and his neigh
,or. ken, hens ms they did of course II is said
that no fowls were ever known on the Elizabeth
Islands in the South Pacific until about thirty
wears aro when missionary from Philadephla
named McClintocl planted few garden seeds
near his house. but that. thcrcupon, every I'M
fortunate heather on the islands sent TO Australia
and procured hen. This, however has 10 par
,icular bearing on Mr. Corbetts invention, inter
es,ipo as il may otherwise be, and We hasten 20
rive short description Of II.
In the Excelsior iicn-IIobble Mr. Corbctt at
,,cbes a string TO the left leg Of the hen. This
.,riuq conpeatS with bill clamp which Is fastened
o. the fowls hcak This bill-clamp. when in its
normal condition. allows the hen 10 open and shut
hcr bcalt with the usual freedom but the slightest
nrc,sure on the spring causes the clamp 10 close
and prcyrnt any further introduction Of food into
fine hens interior. The hen which Is provided
with an Excelsior IIobble starts ont In the morn
ing with light heart. She may indulge In the
low song peculiar 70 hens. and even cackle. She
may too. h her crop with the nutritious gravel
and such other food as She may be able to find.
lut when she approaches the garden with the In
tenton ~ scratching mp the surface of the earth,
sbe bccomcs aware that her freedom Is being tam
pcred with Al the first rcarward stroke Of her
left foot the string IS drawn taut, the spring is
released and the clamp shuts down with SNIP
and Theoretically closes her bill. There is not, OF
course. any physical reason why the hen may not
90 on scratching hut the hollowncSs Of cxcavatng
worms and other food which she cannot make use
Of speedily dawns upon her and she rctlrcs from
the field Unable TO cacilc or 10 masticatc gravel
she wandcrs about helpless till she has been caught
by her owner and the clamp released. A few trials
soon show the intelligent hen the utter absurdity
Of attempting to do anything In the way Of
scratching when fitted with the Excelsior IIobbe.
The only difficulty which Mr.. Corbctt has cX-
perienccd with his invention SO far is the impos-
sibili,y Of inducing hcn-owncrs TO adopt il. Mr..
Corbctt is the only man in his ncghborhood who
has n garden. There some twenty men in the
Immediate vicinity who keep hens. Not one of
these men can he persuaded even to give the
IIobblc n trial. Mr.. Corbett, however, sees his
way clear. Legislation is what is needed. With
law requiring hcn-owncrs TO reduce their hens
20 n state Of innocuousncSs with his Excelsior
Hen IIobblc, gardens will not only he safe but
n boom will lie given to the stock in his manu-
featuring company. Mr.. Corbctt writes MS that
he starts for Albany Immediately TO lobby for the
passage Of the proposed law