RESULT OF POOR HANDLING. 



11 



LOSS DUE TO POOR HANDLING. 



The estimate of the author of Circular 140 of this bureau places 

 the annual loss for the entire country at 17 per cent of the total value 

 of the crop, or $45,000.000 annually. A vivid idea of what this loss 

 means to the State of Kansas alone may be obtained from the follow- 

 in": statement contained in a circular letter distributed by the packers 

 and car-lot shippers of that State: 



It is the belief of those who are in a position to know that the value of the 

 egg product of the State of Kansas would be increased approximately $1.000.000 

 annually if proper care were taken of the product by the farmer and merchant. 



More accurate figures show that the loss varies during the year 

 from 5 to 25 per cent, depending largely on the time of year and 

 weather conditions. 



The following table gives a condensed report of the total receipts 

 of three Kansas egg buyers during the months of July, August, and 

 September, 1910, showing the number of rots thrown out as the result 

 of candling as well as the number of seconds and checks in two 

 instances : 



TABLE 1. Showing loss in eggs received by three Kansas buyers in summer 



months of 1010. 



It will be seen by an examination of the above table that the total 

 receipts of the three localities were 70(5,509 dozen. At 15 cents a 

 dozen, which is about the average price for " firsts " during the 

 months of July, August, and September, the value of the total re- 

 ceipts would be $105,985.35. However, 152,970 do/en, or 21.7 per 

 cent, of these eggs did not pass as " firsts." Of this number M(i.521 

 dozen were classed as seconds (which includes checks), and (>0,449 

 dozen were "' rots." It will be noticed that locality A does not dis- 

 criminate against seconds and checks. This condition makes the 

 actual loss in seconds and checks less than it would be under the 

 candling system of localities B and C\ The per cent of 4 ' firsts " is 

 also necessarily greater. When buying on a loss-off basis the price 

 paid for seconds is from 1 to 8 cents per dozen less than the price of 

 firsts. At G cents this would mean a loss of $5.191.26 in localities B 



