GRADING OF EGGS. 11 



particularly Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Indiana, Minnesota, Mich- 

 igan, and Missouri, to do away with these unsatisfactory conditions. 

 Considerable progress has been made, but much yet remains to be 

 done. The introduction of the "loss-off " basis as applied to buying 

 eggs is a step in advance over the method of purchasing them by 

 "case count." 



Producers of eggs should give more careful attention to the details 

 of this extremely profitable industry. According to the statistics for 

 1907, 1 the poultry and egg business of the country was estimated 

 at $600,000,000, and the average price paid for eggs in the United 

 States was 18.2 cents per dozen. In 1909 the average price was 19.7 

 cents. 2 



Eggs should be produced from healthy hens under cleanly condi- 

 tions and kept at low temperatures until consumed. They should 

 be marketed twice or thrice weekly, and eggs of doubtful quality 

 should be carefully sorted before selling. 3 Shell eggs produced and 

 sold under good conditions are worth more than the carelessly pro- 

 duced article, and they command a selling price sufficiently in 

 advance of the average grade to repay the farmer for the care and 

 expense necessary to produce a better product. 



GRADING OF EGGS. 4 



The grading of eggs is more difficult than that of most food prod- 

 ucts. Each egg must be considered as an individual unit, and the 

 condition- of the egg substance can not be accurately determined 

 without first breaking the surrounding shell. In practice, eggs 

 intended for sale in the shell are graded by observing their external 

 appearance and by the candling process. 



Eggs are judged from their external appearance according to size, 

 form, color, cleanliness of the shell, and freedom from checks and 

 cracks. All of these factors aid in passing upon the value and prob- 

 able quality of the product. Internally, eggs in the shell are exam- 

 ined by candling, which is done by exposing each egg to a strong 

 light inclosed within a suitable case in a darkened room. The oper- 

 ator holds the egg before a small opening in the case inclosing the 

 light and by a series of quick turns brings all sides of the egg into 

 view. After long experience the skilled operator is able to judge 

 with fair accuracy the quality of the eggs, although a certain per- 

 centage of inferior eggs escapes the most expert candler. This is 



1 U. S. Dept. Agr., Yearbook, 1907, p. 20. 



2 Ibid., p. 589 (calculated). 



8 U. S. Dept. Agr., Bureau of Animal Industry Bui. 141. 



< Information relative to the grading, classification, breaking, drying, and freezing of eggs and the trade 

 practices were largely obtained by Carleton Bates and E. A. Read, of the Bureau of Chemistry, during 

 a joint inspection tour among nearly 50 egg breaking and drying establishments. Work on grading eggs 

 was also done in Washington at the microchemical and bacteriological laboratories. 



