The Preservation of Food in the Home. — Part III 1307 



ment of winter herds, thus offsetting the natural increase in milk production 

 that occurs during the summer. The poultrymen have been trying to 

 accompHsh a hke result with their flocks, but as yet no radical change 

 has been effected in the hen's natural period of heaviest production. 



Of course, during that season of the year when the egg production is 

 greatest ^ — -that is, during the months of March, April, and May — the price 

 of eggs is at the lowest point, 20 to 25 cents a dozen wholesale; during 

 November, December, and January, when few eggs are produced, the price 

 reaches its highest point, 50 to 60 cents a dozen wholesale. Manifestly, 

 some method of equalizing the market must be found. 



COLD STORAGE FOR EGGS 



The practice of placing eggs in cold storage has been developed rapidly 

 during the last few years and has proved itself beneficial to a limited extent 

 in aiding in the equalization of prices. Now that cold storage methods 

 are being scientifically studied and controlled, commercial cold storage is 

 beginning to fill a great need in our market egg business. By means of 

 cold storage the price of eggs is held a little higher during the spring 

 months when eggs are cheapest; and during the winter, city people of 

 m.oderate means are able to buy eggs of good quality at a greatly reduced 

 price. The management of cold storage plants naturally lies in the hands 

 of the capitaHsts, because a large investment is required for the installation 

 of necessary machinery and expensive insulation. 



HOME PRESERVATION OF EGGS 



As a matter of safety as well as of economy, it is very desirable for the 

 household to obtain a surplus of eggs during the season when they are of 

 good qiiality and plentiful, place them in some good homemade preserva- 

 tive, and have them for use during the winter months. Many methods 

 of preservation have been tried, especially in recent years — that is, since 

 about 1898. Some of those methods are: packing eggs in dry table salt, 

 bran, oats, or sawdust ; preserving them in dry wood ashes, powdered 

 sulfur, potassium permanganate, powdered gypsum, salt brine, slaked lime 

 and salt brine, salicylic acid, limewater, various solutions of water glass, 

 gum arable and formalin, or gum arable and salicylic acid; dipping in 

 sulfuric acid and sealing up in glass cans; covering with vaseline, paraffin, 

 patented preparations, butter, or lard. Of all these methods of preser- 

 vation, the limewater and salt brine and the water-glass solution seem to 

 give the best results. The water glass gives the better results of the two, 

 because of the chalky taste that can be detected in eggs preserved in 

 limewater and salt brine. 



