CHAPTEE IX. 

 PRESERVING EGGS FOR MARKET. 



To preserve eggs for a considerable time the pores of 

 the shell must be stopped up, for two reasons : to pre- 

 vent the entrance of the air, and consequent spoiling of 

 the contents, and to prevent the evaporation of the moist- 

 ure of the egg and a drying-up of the contents. There 

 are two principal methods of doing this. One is, to 

 smear the surface of the eggs with something that will 

 close the pores, and then pack them in some material 

 that will practically exclude the air. The eggs are 

 smeared with lard, coated with linseed or cotton-seed 

 oil, or with shellac varnish, and are afterwards packed 

 in bran, dry sand, or other similar material. These 

 methods will answer for home use ; but whatever may be 

 the coating material, the surface of the shells will have 

 an unnatural appearance, which will prevent their ready 

 sale in the markets. The only practical method to pre- 

 serve eggs to be sold is to place them in milk of lime, 

 which is another name for whitewash, and is prepared 

 precisely as for whitewashing. The fresh eggs are 

 packed in a barrel, and the lime- wash, well stirred and 

 then strained, is poured over them. The eggs must be 

 fresh when packed, and must be kept in a cool place. 

 The eggs, according to the extent of the operations, are 

 placed in barrels or in brick vats or tanks, built for the 

 purpose. The dealers who handle large quantities of 

 eggs have brick tanks built in a cool cellar. Any vessel, 

 such as a but or barrel, will answer the purpose in a 

 small way as well as the tanks. The eggs when sent to 

 market are removed from the lime and thoroughly 

 washed, and when dry are packed in barrels of cut straw, 

 (80) 



