Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-10-29
MOTHERLESS CHICKS.
SURPRISES AT A LONG ISLAND
POULTRY FARM.
. Where the Thermometer Rules
Thousands Of Birds Within Call,
but Few in Sight-In the BrOOding


sedate old hens, arrogant roosters, vel
vety, lily white ducks. They are all
within reach of the mildest halloo and
vet not dozen of them in sight at once
That is the first impression one gets of u
large, well ordered poultry farm.
1t is curious impression, too. The
underpinning of your ideas seems utter
ly out of gear Where is the traditional
cluck-cluck and the feathered hustle of
the barnyard you know SO well? Then
you suddenly remember Modern science
has stepped in with her incubators and
her mixed feed and deposed Mother
Nature on her own ground The "settin'
heu" is good, but the hot air box is moro
reliable.
"The chickens and the ducks are all
there ''behind the scenes" in long row
of frame buildings. The poultry farm
of to-day is run on scientific principles.
The machinery does not wear itself, it is
far too well Oiled But you may feel its
motion.
"Sandacre," the country seat of Rob-
ers Colgate, on the outskirts of the vii
lage of Quogue, l.. L., within sight and
sound of the blue Atlantic, is at once one
of the most famous and representative of
modern poultry farms. 1t is famous be-
cause of its size and its varieties of fancy
fowl, representative because every inno-
walton and improvement is brought into
play within its boundaries. Once upon
time there was farm on the New
Jersey sands that far exceeded it. But
now that Jersey chicken settlement has
handed over its glores and "Sandacre"
reigns unique at least.
''Sandacre Farm" as it is to-day is the
outgrowth of years. Mr.. Colgate has
long been fancier of note. But until
recently he has always exhibited in the
name of his manager and kept aloof
from tie turmoil of county and state
fairs. 1t was the organization of the
New York Poultry and Pigeon Associa-
tion that brought him before the public
as a man Of fowl He was not one of the
associations originators, but summoned
to the very first conclave he made his
mark among those who were and was
elected the first president. This post he
has filled ever since.
l visited "Sandacre Farm on hot
morning. The sunlight lay warm and
glistening on the brown roofs of the long
row of chicken houses and the waters of
Quoguc Bay-a magnificent duck pond,
truly shimmering in the glare. "Sand-
acre is most appropriately named, AMI,
to paraphrase a bit, it might well he
called "a fowls paradise" And the
Scriptural injunction has been cboyel.
The soil is sandy everywhere, but it is
not upon the sand that these houses have
been built.
Gaylor, the manager, awaited me at
the incubator house door. And q strange
ly interesting person found this Gaylor.
He was Il man of science, machncst,
all electrician, an inventor and fancier
all rolled into one. The incubator in
use 0here were two others in the little
house, was of his own make, piece by
piece, and he could tinker any part of it
should need be.
August is betwixt and between seasons
for the mechanical Matching of chickens
and ducks. The incubators greatest
activity is in the early months of the
year. Then brood follows brood without
the loss of a day. Seven hundred and
fifty eggs are put in the hatcher at one
time, though its actual capacity is double
that.
elias experience proved the incubator
a greater success than the old-fashioned
barnyard hcn?' | asked.
eyes, and no." answered the manager,
with reflective whisker twirl.
"The incubator chickens are no
stronger and no better than those hatchcd
In the natural way. But it is difficult to
get setting hens, enough of them | mean.
Then again, the proportion of loss is very
much smaller in the hatcher. Look ut
this machinery and you will see why.
And againit was impressed upon me
how modern sciences is able to give points
to nature.
The eggs rest in rows on wire -bottomed
trays, cighty-five to ninety eggs to tray.
These trays slide in and out of the hat
cher like desk drawers. Along the top run
ten iron pipes five for the flow of water
five for its return. Several inches lower
extends n thermostat of peculiar design.
1t is bar of hard rubber, one sixteenth
of an inch thick and one inch wide. 1t
is held taut by powerful spring and
bar controlled by it plays between the
points of an electric circuit, completing G
it by touching every point, breaking it
by standing midway. The thermostat is
regulated TO 102-102 1-2 degrees, the
lamp is lit, the hot water circulates
through the pipes. The temperature rises
above 102 1-2, the circuit is completed and
clock work is put into motion, which
,hovesa loose sleeve or snuffer over the
lamp wick and opens the ventilators.
When the temperature has fallen one
degree the thermostatic bar files to the
other point. The clockwork moves
again, the sleeve is lifted off the lamp
wick, the light blazes up again and the
yentilators are closed
Seemingly the mechanism is perfect,
but there is yet another safeguard. A
second thcrmostat is in the machine.
This is regulated between 50 and 105,
the danger points Of incubation. When
the temperature touches either of these
the circuit is completed, and three electric
bells ring-one in Sandacre mansion,
another in the managers house,
the third in the broodng house. 1t is u
danger signal by night as we'll as by day.
seldom if ever sounded, but hatch of
$50 eggs is too precious to take risks
with, and some sudden mischance might
befall.
Each egg is carefully scrutinized as it
goes into Che trays and many times there
after. The examination is an interior one,
though made wholly from the outside
Hens eggs are studied by lamp light, the
concentration of rays being needed.
Ducks eggs, however, are more trans
parent and can be looked over at any
time. The period of incubation is eigh-
e L