July 2, 1908.] Agricultural Gazette of N.SJF. 545 



Inside thf louiii at »\\ angles tix tillet piect-o and corueis. These must be 

 iixed tightly, and should have a layer of Malthoid or P. and B. paper to form 

 an air-tight joint. 



Always bear in mind that when construeting a chamber of this kind, that 

 the better the insulation the more ethcient will be the working of the 

 refrigerating machinery. 



There is, of course, room for diftVrences of opinion as to the se\eral kind.N 

 of motive power in the market that would be suitable for driving the small 

 ice machine. 



The sream engine and boiler is a most reliable one, and is cheap to work 

 where wood is plentiful, and it is easy of management. 



The producer-gas or suction-gas plant, the latter preferable for small 

 installations, and, lastly, the oil engine. 



In erecting one of these small plants it would only require about '1 horse- 

 power to drive the machine alone, but it should always be borne in naind that 

 a,lmost any kind of work can be greatly cheapened in production bv thf- 

 introduction of machineiy, and it is advisable to obtain an engine large enough 

 to do such extra work as sawing, corn-shelling, milk-separating, churning, 

 chaff-cutting, and even providing electric light for the homestead. The 

 approximate cost of, say, a 4-horse plant woidd be about £160. The steam 

 plant lias an advantage over others, as steam can be utilised for scalding- 

 milk cans and other utensils. 



Cold Storage of Eggs. 



Owners would do well to arrange for having eggs examined before 

 23utting them into store, and all cracked ones should be removed. Eggs 

 •coated with matter from broken ones will suffer injury if not cleaned. 



Jn order that eggs may be kejjt fresh anrl good for from four to six 

 months, it is necessaiy to see that only new-laid ones be selected ; where 

 23ossible, also, it is advisable to have them infertile, as when fertile eggs get 

 exposed to a temperature of 90 degrees, for even a .short time, the germ will 

 start into growth, and no subsequent treatment will then avail to give them 

 the quality of freshness. Eggs for storage should be gathei-ed daily and placed 

 at once in the storage boxes in a cool place. To attain the highest success, 

 they should be graded as to colour and size, the boxes being marked 

 accordingly. Care should also be taken to have them clean and free from 

 unsightly stains. But it is not advisable to put them through a system of 

 absolute washing. Dipping eggs in water tends to remove the natural 

 " bloom " of the em. 



In New South Wales the boxes used are of trade size, holding 36 dozen or 

 LS dozen, and packers should see that the}- are made of odourless timber, as 

 eggs are ])eculiarly liable to absorb flavours from their surroundings. 



Another imjiortant point is to see that the boxes and fillers are thoroughly 

 dry before using, otherwise mustiness is almost sure to ensue. Beyond the 

 tillers of cardboard, no packing of any kind should be used, and in order to 

 secure the best results it is recommended that the grease-proof odourless 



