The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1908-05-06

years ago, with less than 5000 after
the settlement of our family affairs.
Several courses were open to us. We
could accept home at the house of
an uncle who had a family of his
own, or seek positions as teachers in
primary schools, or go to the city as
salesgirls in a department store, or
take work as domestics in a factory.
What we did do was to embark in
the poultry business. For the use of
an old farm, which was owned by a
savings bank in Concord, we engaged
to pay thirty dollars for the first
year, with the privilege of buying 1t
at the end of the year for 500.
:. 1t was about the most weathered,
desolate, lonesome old place which
fancy could portray. The buildings
consisted of a one-story house, with
broken windows and leaky roof, con-
nected to long woodhouse, equally
dilapidated, which ended in lottery,
gray shell of barn, which creaked
when the wind blew.
But there were no neighbors with
in third of mile, at least; and
that Is important when one wishes to
avoid the expense of fencing. The old
fields offered fine run for fowls, al
though there was some danger from
foxes.
We could do nothing to better the
buildings until we were richer; and
moving in such furniture as was left
us from the breakup of our home,
we established ourselves in two rooms
of the old house ON March I'd.
We fortified ourselves with ham,
mers, nails and bits of board in those
two rooms and the old woodhouse.
The great drawback in so lonely a
situation was our great fear of
tramps. A friend lent us gun,
which we kept loaded for emergen-
cies. Such things are not agreeable
for women to have to do, but there
was no alternative for us.
The rent was not due until the end
of the year; but we had to buy at
once of breeder of Rhode Island
Reds" sixteen hundred eggs, at sixty
cents dozen, and five large hot air
incubators. These, with brooders,
cost $3.50. Also there was chicken
food to buy, and poultry books, kero-
sene and other things. Still we had
nearly 1900 left to live on till we
could sell "broilers" in June and
July.
With painstaking care and atten-
tion to every detail, we set our five
incubators going. For three days we
ran them empty, to learn how each
worked, and be certain that the ther-
mostats were in order before entrust-
ing our costly eggs to their keeping.
Thenceforward, during those twen-
ty-one days of incubation, either Will
ma or l was always at hand, night
and day, with an eye to the ther-
mometers.
The hight of April 9Th was the
night of all nights with us. Old
poultry breeders may smile at our an
xieties, but this was cur first hatch
ing.
Aou DCGh Mcch VI hlllu
weather. On the evening of the 4th,
however, it turned raw and cold
again. Winter seemed to come back
at bound; snow squalls howled
down from the White Hills, and how
are old barn did creak and crack!
= We had all our incubators in the
woodhouse next to the kitchen, be-
cause that seemed the warmest, most
secure place. Years before, this old
woodhouse had been banked up with
earth and sod, which had never been
removed, and higher up we had now
stopped all the cracks with paper to
keep out stray drafts of air.
y To place an incubator just right
in cold weather is nice matter.
There must be good fresh air about
1t, but not too much or too cold, and
there must be some moisture in the
air, but not to the degree of real
dampness, else you will have wet"
chickens.
With the incubator you must imi-
tate the setting hen as nearly as pos
sible. The hen turns her eggs over
now and then in the nest, and so
must you in the incubator drawers;
the hen goes off the nest and lets
her eggs "air" once day, and in like
manner the incubator must be aired,
but should not be allowed to get quite
cold-and If you open the incubator
and put out the lamp at the same
time the eggs may cool down too
much.
The first incubator which we had
filled was how on the point of hatch
ing. To add to our troubles, that af-
ternoon Wilma was taken i'll with
tonsilitis. / had to put her to bed
and play the doctor, for there was no
physician within six miles, and the
night was too inclement to permit
my going even to ouf nearest neigh
Dor. All the time, too, those incuba-
tors we're showing their worst points,
owing, ! suppose, to the effect on the
lamps Of the strong wind currents
and heavy gusts outside. At times
they lsred up. although hung up