lo Sept., 1909.] The Marketing of F.ggs. 569 



THE MARKETING OF EGGS. 



H. V. Haickius, Poultry Expert. 



That there are numerous outlets for eggs cannot be denied, but there 

 are wa\s and means of securing a mucli more uniform price than is 

 usually obtained. A great number of farmers pay little or no attention 

 to the regular gathering of eggs, and through carelessness lose heavily 

 each year. Stale and fresh eggs are indiscriminately put into old cases 

 with simply chaff packing, and that often musty, the result being that 

 the buyer often makes an absolute loss on his purchase. 



The principal buyers are the export agents, produce dealers, biscuit 

 manufacturers, confectioners, caterers, hotel and restaurant keepers, hospi- 

 tals, asylums, and the general public. 



Quality. — The general rule is to consider newness the only desir- 

 able quality in eggs. More than this is necessary, the daily gathering of 

 the eggs being essential ; in fact, when the temperature exceeds 80 degrees, 

 this should be done twice a da\-. Through being permitted to remain in 

 the nests three and four days, during which period they may be sat upon 

 by a do'zen hens, the eggs become spoilt and in many cases incubated. 

 The change which takes place during 72 hours' exposure to the sun's 

 rays, or during the many visits to a cosy nest by more than one hen dis- 

 turbs and disflavours the egg. The two changes vvhich cause the greatest 

 objection are due to the development of the embyro chick or to the for- 

 mation in the decaving eggs of the very foul-smelling hydrogen sul- 

 phide gas. 



If eggs are exposed to the rays of the sun, or to dampness for any 

 length of time, much of their goodness is destroyed. 



For food purposes fresh eggs are equal in \alue, although varying in 

 tint of yolk. Some are pale, whilst others are much darker. This paleness 

 is undoubtedl) due to a lack of green food, whilst an excess of grass and 

 animal food will very materially darken the yolk. It is admitted b\ 

 manv authorities that the white of the spring egg is of firm quality and 

 will "stand up" better than that of the summer egg. With this I fully 

 agree. 



Xewly-laid fertile eggs cannot be distinguished from infertile eggs,, 

 the germ of the chick being microscopic in size. If the egg is imme- 

 diately cooled and kept at a temperature below 70 degrees F., the germ 

 will not develop. At a temperature of 103 degrees F. the development 

 of the chick proceeds rapidly. It will readily be understood that a 

 fairly low temperature is best for eggs intended for market purposes. 



Grading. — No farm products are m.ore difficult to grade than eggs,, 

 as thev re(]uire separate and careful handling. Grading, as we know it, 

 is usuallv confined to size, colour, and approximate freshness, but to the 

 expert candler it means much more. 



As the heavy laying period approaches, the egg grader is usuall\- 

 hard at the work of candling ; a stronger light is requisite where many 

 tons of eggs have to be tested. The light is enclosed ini a box or a tin 

 cylinder in which are made openings the size of a two-shilling piece. 

 The room being darkened, the candler holds the egg to the light, large 

 end upward, and gives it a (|uick turn in order to view all sides and to 

 cause the contents to whirl within the shell. A very stale egg will Avhirl 

 about as if filled with water ; in other cases there appears a marked increase 

 of space in the air sac (broad end), clearly showing the amount of evapo- 

 ration that has taken place, or loss of weight. To prevent this loss in 



