20 SUCCESSFUL POULTRY JOURNAL What Do You Know About This? Moonology Versus Eggology. Don’t Laugh or Ridicule—Just Think; Then if You Have Any Good Argument on Either Side Send it to S. P. J. for Publication. By 8. Swaysgood SK the average man if the Zodiac can have any influence on the laying qualities of the hen, and he will say no. He will not only say no, but he will say it de- cisively, as if that settled the matter, which it does to him. The man who already knows does not need to investi- gate, but this article is written for those of an enquiring ‘mind; those who don’t know, but are willing to consider the matter before condemn- ing it. That is the proper attitude to assume towards any ew subject, or what appears to us to be new, for “There is nothing new under the sun.” In this’ atti- tude the mind is open to conviction, and truth will find the way. There are thousands of people in the United States who believe that the Zodiac influences human lives and characters. Hundreds of men make a living by de- lineating character from the date of birth, and all these people and thousands more believe ‘that the ‘moon influences the tide. These things are quite common belief, yet they can- not imagine that it can make any difference to an egg or a chicken, "SBirt why not? Is an egy so insignificant that it has been left out of the universal plan and is obliged to take pot luck as to when or how it is hatched? The latter method certainly appears to be the case, wwe consider the thousands of eggs annually thrown away after three weeks incubating. But who is to blame, man or nature? man, certainly, for not con- forming to natural law. ‘Think of the intelligence used in the make up of one single egg. Not only is the germ of life there, that under proper conditions will produce a chick, but thete is sufficient food and nourishment to give the chick strength to break through its prison walls and last it until under natural conditions, its foster mother can find food for it. The shell protects the embryo from all destructive enemies from the out- side, so we must think it was deemed worthy of special care in hatching. ‘The Egyptians and Chinese of ancient times, who were past masters in artificial incubating, used the phases of the moon to govern the hatches. It won’t do to say these people were all ignoramuses, because they have, perhaps, forgotten more of natural law than we have yet learned. In fact, all our modern arts and sciences are but rediscoveries of our ancestors, We are learning how to use the discoveries a little better, that's.all we can aim credit for. And this is all the writer claims for this system of hatching. It was through an accident that the idea was brought to notice, and I experi- mented a few times to find out what there was in it. ‘There are twelve signs in the Zodiac, and, in the language of the Almanac, some are described as airey signs, others as firey signs, others dry signs, while others are called barren signs, and four of them are called prolific, or watery signs. ‘The moon, in its monthly transit, passes throu each of these signs, remaining in one from thirty to forty-eight hours before passing into the next one. The fate or future useflnes ofthe chick hatched during one of these stages of the moon's progress is determined by the sign dominating at the time said chick is hatched. If it is hatched while the.moon is in Scorpio, Cancer, Taurus or Pices, it will, all other conditions ‘being right, mature early and be a prolific layer if of female sex, if male sex a good breeder. Don't forget, however, that nature cannot build on poor foundation any more than man can. If the chick does not inherit sufficient vitality to stand the @ test, it will give way for the survival of the fitest. Several years ago a few pullets of the Buff Orping- ton variety were hatched and a record kept, of sign they were hatched under, date they commenced to lay, and number of eggs layed during the winter months. ‘Then work got pressing and the record was neglected. ‘The next year a few were hatched under the same sign and another equal in number set to come off in one of the barren signs. The result was something similar in the first hatch, while the second hhatched only a few days later did not lay a dozen eggs the whole season, though they grew full size and looked bright and healthy as any fowls, Now all experimenting is done with, and when through a refractant hen or some accident a hatch is delayed so that it does not come off in the sign I want it, those chicks are toe marked and a record kept of the ‘hatch, then they are put by themselves until they are tried out; if they don’t produce the eges they are sold for table use. I have no use for drones with feed at the price it is, What every poultry man wants are good layers, and this system is one of many others that help to build up the strain. Some rely on trap nests, but the ‘trap nest can do no more than to give the hen's rec- ord, but like does not always produce like, and the achievements of the hen are only an indirect means of securing the same results from her progeny. The Hogan and Potter systems both work along the lines of selection. No doubt all these methods have merit, and it is not necessary to give up one in order to try this system, They can be used together and better results will be gained. ‘As all eggs do not hatch alike for various reasons I will give dates when the chicks should hatch to get results, then each operator can use his own judgment according to the variety and freshness of the eggs. The new moon for January comes in on the 1ith and gets into Pices 0:49 a. m. on the 1th, remain- ing until 3:45 a. m, on the 16th, This is avery fa- vorable time to hatch, as is also the 18th, when the moon's transit is through Taurus, 18th to 30th. Can- cer, another good sign, comes in at 2p. m. on the 22d to 24th, But the moon being full on the 25th is not considered so good for growth, though equally good for laying qualities. The new moon for February comes in on the 9th and is in Pices at 9:12 on the 10th and until the even- ing of the 12th, In Taurus on the 14th at 0:19 p. m. remaining until 3 p.m. on the 16th. In Cancer from 8 p. m, on the 18th until 2:28 a. m. on the Sst. ‘The new moon for March cones in,on,the 11th andSUCCESSFUL POULTRY JOURNAL passes through Taurus from the 13th to 15th, be- tween 8 and 9 p. m. both dates. Reaches Cancer at 41:80 on the 16th, and remains until 8 2. m. on the th. ‘April moon comes in on the 9th and passes through Taurus from the 10th at 6:32 a. m, until 6:26 a. m. fon the 12th; reaches Cancer at 8:32 a, m. on the 14th and remains until 1 p.m. on the 16th, with the grand sign Scorpio coming in at 10 p. m. on the 28d and full moon on the 24th. This is the best sign in the More Argument About a1 Zodiac in which to hatch male birds for breeders. Scorpio rules the generative organs and is a most Prolific sign. ‘The new moon for May comes in on the 8th, 1 ing Cancer at 5:59 p. m. on the 11th and remaining ‘until 9:30 p. m. on the 18th passes through Scorpio on the 21st from 4:26 a. m. until 5:16 on the 28d. No more good days for May. Readers should preserve this record, as I cannot answer letters. Healdsburg, Calif, he Curtain Front Houses Mr. Morse Replies to Mr. Mathews and is Just as Positive as Ever That the Curtain Frout House Is Not What It Is Claimed to Be. By E. L, C. Morse ROM Boothbay, Maine, there comes a page of criticism on my mild and gentle article in the November issue of the Successrut. Poutrry Journat, in which I undertook to show up some of the follies and absurdities of the so- called curtain front style of poultry house. It reminds one of the remarks of a certain John 'L. Sullivan, in his day the most famous Pugilist of the world. John was invited to have a little friendly bout over in France. At the end of a ‘half hour John quit and said: “I can face any man that will stay somewhere in a twenty foot ring, but when it comes to a foot race in a cow pasture, T con- fess I am not in it’ ‘The trouble with the gentleman from Boothbay is that he chases over a cow pasture, as it were, and personally I don’t care to engage in a sprinting match of that sort, Let him observe the rules of the game and play fair. One of the first rules in any game of argumenta- tions to quote your opponent correctly or not a all In the tenth line of the first column of page 20 of the December issue, I am made to say things T never said. ‘My esteemed friend then s to controvert state- ments I never made, Readers of this Journal will in- stantly agree with me that such a performance is un- Profitable and even childish. In the next place the gentleman from Boothbay dodges the question of a curtain front house, Here is what he calls a curtain front house (quoted exactly ‘as he wrote it, by the way) : “My idea of a curtain front [house] is one in which there is a removable light cloth curtain. Also a glass window, size not fixed.” ‘Wherein the gentleman reminds me of John L.'s remark about the sprinting match in a cow pasture! So then, a curtain front house has a glass window in it, “size not fixed.” That is, you may have a very large glass window and a very small curtain, and you still have a curtain front house! Well, well, who would have thought it? Now, do you know, I always had an idea that a curtain front house was a house with a curtain for the front of it and that you did NOT use a glass window. T inferred from plans and descriptions of curtain fronts that I have seen, that you did NOT, decidedly did NOT use glass windows, but that you used a curtain for the front. I have ex: postulated many times against such a curtain, and have said time and time again that the great cbjec- I tion to stich a house was that you could not get di- rect rays of sunshine through that curtain, and that ‘when that curtain froze, you got no ventilation. Per- sons who claimed to be the real Simon pure curtain front advocates, said that made no difference; they got sun enough anyhow, and that glass was not needed, BlathLangshan Cockerel GreemBay Te First Paze at Ma State Show St hovis Dee baste i¥04 = WILHITE BLUE RIBBOY Baack a sore GREENPICL DILL . |A remarkable bird, bred, owned and exhibited by Mra H.C. ‘Withite, Box T4L, Greene, and a glass window was a relic of barbarism and so forth, “In fact, they said, you don’t need glass, and the instant you use glass, that minute you spoil the whole thing. ‘And now comes the gentleman from Boothbay and says he is the real Simon pure article on curtain front, houses and says you do need glass.’ And, moreover, hes SUCCESSFUL POULTRY JOURNAL When the Achorion attacks human beings it is of ten necessary to pull out the affected hairs in order to get rid of the disease, and in fowls it may be found useful to pull out the feathers along the edges of the bare spots. About the best remedy for severe and obstinate cases is a solution of bi-chloride of Mercury (corrosive sublimate), five to ten grains to the ounce of water. This is to be well rubbed into, the skin, but it is a powerful poison and great care should be used to prevent it from being taken in- ternally by any living creature. While the local treatment is carried on the general health of the af- fected bird must be looked after. In the early stages of the disease this may not be required, but if it is allowed to run on unchecked and to invade a con- siderable extent of the surface of the body there may be great exhaustion, and death is not infrequent un- der such circumstances, Early treatment will bring a speedy cure, but long standing cases are often very obstinate and hard to subdue. ‘Swiftwater, Pa. (To be continued.) Comment on the System of Hatching by the Moon. One of Our Eastern Readers Adds a Few Thoughts on the Swaysgood System as Explained in These Pages This Month and Last. By Easterner. OFF your hats, gentlemen! Curtesy, ladies! S. Swaysgood holds the center of the stage. He has given us some- thing new. People long ago consulted the moon in the interests of the pork- barrel. They knew that pork would in- J crease or diminish when boiled in the pot according to the time it was killed, whether the maon was waxing or waning. ‘The farmer planted his crops or bred his animals in the early stages of the moon, for if it was increas- WHITE PLYMOUTH ROCK One of Lamont “Northern Ralged”, White, Piymouth Rocks, ‘owned oy tlarey 'M, Lamon, Bow a Adame Center, N.Y afr Peimon birds are: noied for Tength of body. broad back, Low, Selapread tail and" deep full breast, ing in size prolificacy resulted, and if it was decreas- ing an approximation to sterility would follow, But no one, until S, Swaysgood appeared, ever thought fof consulting the moon's situation in the Zodiac when he seta hen. With Brudder Jasper we may say “the sun do move.” But T have an improvement to suggest on the .good system and file my caveat to protect the great discovery. If the date of hatching is import- ant—and of course it is—the date when the egg is laid is still more important. Don’t set an egg un- less it is laid when the moon is in the right sign of the Zodiac. I'll not draw out in detail any table of right laying dates until I have patented my method. In the future look out for my advertisement; it will read something like this: “Eggs for Hatching. Eggs laid when the moon is in Scorpio, Cancer. Taurus and Pisces, $50 per setting; laid’ at other times, fifty cents per setting. Eggs selected for Particular days, $100 per setting.” By the way, since the discovery of the Sways- good system and my own, why shouldn't we add a new sign to the Zodiac? ‘The dollar sign, 8, would be a good one, only it ought to be understood that it should be read as a dollar an egg, not a dollar a dozen, Eggs laid when in this sign would be worth money. The greatest results, of course, are to be obtained by combining the Swaysgood system with mine. Have the eggs laid and hatched when the moon is in the right sign of the Zodiac. A neglect to ob- serve these conditions probably accounts forthe un- satisfactory results obtained at the Maine State Experiment Station, If those poor, benighted—in ‘a night without a moon—experimenters had only consulted us and had followed our counsels, they would have been able to issue a bulletin that would have caused the world to sit up and take notice. The two-hundred-egg hen would not have been a dream, but she would have become a reminiscence. for our hens would now be laying three hundred and sixty-five eggs a year, and in leap years three hundred and sixty-six. There the secret’s out. How to breed great lay- ers is made plain, “The wayfaring man, though a fool, need not err therein.” Combine the two sys- tems, follow out the discoveries of Swaysgood and Easterner. But we hope the majority will not ac- cept these great truths. The price of market ¢ would go down with a crash; our hopes and profits would be crushed. The only way to keep up prices to reject these systems. ‘The few, the very few. who accept them will then be able to make a for- tune. Ah! what a fortune is there, my countryment And we. the “minions of the moon,” shall realize it. The philosopher's stone has been discovered, and the dream of the alchemists has come true, for