The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-01-23

1t has taken years Of experimenting
and study and the expenditure uf much
money to develop the science Of artifi-
cial incubation into the successful
practice it is today. 1t was no small
undertaking to construct little box
of wood and glass that would perfectly
perform the functions of the mother
hen. The promoters had to study
closely the natural laws Of incubation
and follow them minutely. But all
the problems of heat, moisture and
ventilation have been solved 1t takes
81 days to hatch a chick, and the in
cubator authorities can tell you each
days progress in the formation and
life of the little fowl before it comes
out of the shell.
"The incubators will hatch any kind
of eggs, but the length of time re-
quircd varies in different birds or fowls
1t takes a humming bird only l2 days
to come through, a canary IS, a duck
%, turkey 80 and swan 40. One
authority reports that be found some
snake eggs in pile Of compost and
put them into a machine. When he
went to look again the bottom of the
box was a squirming mass of little
spotted adders.
"The eggs of quail, pheasant and all
kinds Of game birds develop readily in
this remarkable Matching machine.
Ostrich eggs are also being hatched
successfully in Florida, Arizona and
California. Ostrich farming has been
practlced in tnis country since 1892
and is getting to be a very profitable
business on account OF the high price
the feathers bring in the market.
"The green duck industry forms
another important branch of the poul-
try business. Green ducks mean I'm
perial Pekins, which were originally
imported from China, and they are
raised by the thousands and tens Of
thousands by artificial means, fed
scientifically and marketed when they
are from eight to ten weeks old. This
is just before they molt their first coat
of feathers, at which time they weigh
from eight to ten pounds per pair.
Some of them are fed upon celery seed
to give their meat the flavor of the
famous Southern canvasbacks, and so
successfully that the difference cannot
be detected. Separate duck ranches
on Long Island, N. Y; Harrisburg,
Pa; Wrentham, Mass; Dallas, Pa =,
and elsewhere produce annually, from
March l to August l, from 10000 to
As 900 green ducks marketing them
principally in New York and Boston.
This industry is also we'll developed
in New England, particularly in East
ern Massachusetts, where there are
several ranches that produce from
10000 to $4,000 annually; two Of the
largest being located at Wrentham
and South Easton. But Long Island
still leads, Speonk being the center of
the greatest annual production. Fully
100000 green ducks are grown each
season within few miles of this little
village.
"The three most prominent members
Of the large poultry family in this
country are the Plymouth Rocks, the
Legholns and the Wyandot,es. The
Leghorns are the egg type. They are
long in body, light in weight and very
active. Their average frequently runs
as high as 200 eggs per yeal to the
hen. The Wyandottcs are strictly an
American production. They are she, t
in body, plump round and heavier than
Loghorns They have full breast de-
velopnent, have yellow legs and skin
and cons quently show up Well when
dressed. Their meat is tender, has
fine grain and good favor and they
are the ideal table fowl, either as broil-
ers, wei ghing from one half to one and
one-half pounds, or as roasters, weigh.
ing from three to five pounds. Tie
Plymouth Rocks are similar to the
Wyandottes, except their bodies are
longer and that they weigh pound
more at maturity. The Barred Ply
mouth Rock is the great American all
purpose bind; the kinl the ia, mer, the
tancier and all swear 10y. The Wyan-
dotte is later breed and is fast grow
ing in popularity, especially with
breeders, but the old standbys, the
Barred Rocks. will doubtless hold their
supremacy for many years.
DO you know, Uncle Gabe,' SAID
the man at the fish market, that the
fellows with the microscope have found
millions and millions of germs i'm