]62 Journal of Agriculture. [8 [March, 1907. 



I saw tht eggs being discharged from the ship, and found the cases 

 clean, and the handling carefully done. On examination in the Cool 

 Stores, the eggs had the appearance of new laid, and ' candled ' satis- 

 factorily. There was little or no shrinkage, and on breaking open some 

 eggs the yolks were quite firm. I was also able to see tlie South .-Aus- 

 tralian eggs in the Cool Store, and I must say that I prefer the husks to 

 paper shavings for packing. The husks work down into the compartments 

 cf the fillers and prevent the eggs from oscillating. The custom of the 

 trade here in shipping eggs to South Africa is to pack in husks. 



Owing to few of the egg merchants having had an opportunity of 

 seeing this consignment of eggs up to the time of writing this report, I 

 have not been able tO' form anv definite idea as to whether the size of our 

 package is suitable for this market. So far, the idea seems to prevail that 

 it is too small. The eggs sent from Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Germany, 

 Austria, and other Continental parts, with the exception of France, are 

 usually in cases containing 1,440 eggs, and packed with wood wool, and 

 straw ; a trade allowance is .made of 60 eggs for breakages. Sometimes the 

 cases only contain. 960 eggs. The French case generally contains 720 eggs, 

 but may only, especiallv in the case of fresh heavy eggs, contain 360 eggs. 

 The only package differing materially from those sent from the Continent 

 is the Canadian case, containing 360 eggs, packed in fillers, and this 

 package has lieen suggested to me by one or two egg merchants as a 

 suitable one to copy. A soecimen case has been sent to ]\Ir. CroAve, Super- 

 intendent of Exports, Melbourne. 



Judging from inquiries instituted, there seems to have been no previous 

 effort made to pack infertile eggs separately, but. nevertheless, the idea 

 is one worth a little further experiment. The theory, of course, is that 

 the eggs \vill keep longer in good coaidition, and, should this prove to be 

 the case in practice, the system would l)e a commendable one. 



Eggs are sold here l)y the ' Ion? ' hundred (120 eggs). During the 

 months of October, Xovember, and Decemlx-r. there is usually a scarcity 

 of supply. 



The market prices to-dav (T4th December) are about as follow : — 



Danish and French j8 lbs. per mo eggs 

 17 lbs. 

 16 lbs. 



Italian ... ... 17 lbs. ,, 



,, ... ... j6 lbs. 



., ... ... 15 lbs. 



Russian ... 1 5 lbs. 



Canadian 



Russian cold-stored eggs 



It is expected that prices next ^yeek will be 2s. to 3s. lower, as buyers 

 have already laid in a .stock, and will l)e busy then with poultry and the 

 Chri-stmas trade generally. 



I learn that some of the aljoy" euro's h.aw realized up to 12s. per 120. 

 but shippers will, no doubt, be advised by cable of the complete sales. " 



[Note.— Accoidintr to the account sales received by the consignors the prices 

 realized for the Victorian shipment were as follow :— Large brown, 12s. per long 

 Inindred ; large white, ii>. ; brown, qs. 6d. ; white, qs.— Editor.] 



