. Artificial incubation and incubators ... the ovens, and only high enough to admit a boy topass through. From each fire-chamber there is likewise a com- EGG OVENS OF EGYPT. 61 munication with the oven to which it belongs. In the domed roofsof the ovens, and in the roof of the room, there are holes that canbe opened or closed at pleasure; these serve the twofold purpose ofletting out the smoke, and letting in air and a dim, hazy light. Fig. ,47 shows the process of heating the ovens. The materialemployed for heating is called gelleh—dung collected and dried forthe purpose, which is kept smould
. Artificial incubation and incubators ... the ovens, and only high enough to admit a boy topass through. From each fire-chamber there is likewise a com- EGG OVENS OF EGYPT. 61 munication with the oven to which it belongs. In the domed roofsof the ovens, and in the roof of the room, there are holes that canbe opened or closed at pleasure; these serve the twofold purpose ofletting out the smoke, and letting in air and a dim, hazy light. Fig. ,47 shows the process of heating the ovens. The materialemployed for heating is called gelleh—dung collected and dried forthe purpose, which is kept smouldering slowly in the fire-cham-bers above the eggs. Water is supplied in troughs made of mudbricks, encircling the eggs. The climate of Egypt is specially suited for this method, in beingalmost of uniform temperature, and the men who follow the busi-ness are bred to it from childhood. This, as the Maamal of laterdays, demands constant attention, and the attendant on theovens literally lives in them during the time they are in Fig. 46. This egg-hatching is said to be carried on only during the monthsof April, May and June. The eggs are supplied by the peasantry,and there are two systems of purchase. Under one system, thehatcher pays down an agreed sum to the peasant for eggs; underthe other, the owner of the eggs leaves them with the hatcher athis own risk, the latter agreeing to return one chicken for everytwo eggs. According to statistics given during the last decade, the businessis still one of large national importance, the number of establish-ments for the hatching of fowls eggs in Lower Egypt being givenas one hundred and five, and in Upper Egypt as ninety-nine. Thenumber of eggs hatched in Lower Egypt is 13,069,733, and the num-ber spoiled 6,255,867. In Upper Egypt the number hatched is4,349,240, while the entire number spoiled is 2,529,660. In severalworks which refer to this subject these ovens are called Maamals\ 62 ARTIFICIAL HATCHING IN CHINA. This is in
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectincubat, bookyear1883
