In the first place, there are a great many incubators on the market, some being made to sell, and others being made to use. How shall we determine the make to buy? That is not the easiest question in the world, if one has had no previous experience with incubators. Do not necessarily buy the incubator that is advertised the most. Sometimes incubator companies have to advertise extensively to do a sufficient volume of business. The safest way to choose an incubator, if you really intend to purchase one, is to get the advice of some one who is using one, and has had success with the machine that he has used. Some of the cheaper makes have the trouble of too varying a temperature, especially during the night. If one has to arise five or six times a night for three weeks to regulate the lamp to maintain a constant temperature, then the incubator is more bother than it is worth. Therefore, find out the makes of incubators that are giving satisfaction in your own community, if you are intending to purchase one, and then send for one of a similar make. However, if you have not enough eggs to warrant purchasing one, then try to arrange with someone to loan you one, or to put your eggs in with some of theirs, so as to eliminate this expense. There are in general two types of incubators, the hot water and the hot air, the latter being quite the more popular of the two. There are several different sizes of incubators, ranging from a fifty egg capacity up to a thousand egg capacity machine. An incubator with a hundred egg capacity is usually sufficiently large enough for the small poultry keeper. By running three or four hatches during the same season, a good number of chicks can be hatched. There are a few requirements that must be fulfilled to realize the best results from an incubator. First and foremost, always follow the instructions that come with the incubator. The manufacturers of the incubator know more about their incubator than you do. Another thing that should be borne in mind is that you must not expect every egg that is placed in the incubator to produce a chick. A very good hatch is about 75 per cent. Of course, this varies considerably, ranging all the way from nothing to as high as sometimes 100 per cent. Usually one can reasonably expect as high as a 60 per cent hatch, at least, and very often it goes considerably higher, according to the conditions under which it is run. Moisture is a prime essential for the proper running of an incubator, and this should be provided for. If possible, arrange to run the incubator in a cellar, or some damp place. This can be aided, by sprinkling water on the floor, etc. Care must be exercised in running the incubator that fire is guarded against, and some insurance companies make special provisions in their policies for such occasions, and make a slightly higher charge for their policies, because of the danger.