r 



Sec. 9.] . POULTRY. 153 



hatch out a chicken, so far as transportation may affect them. But I learned 

 this by experience. I had a lot sent up the road only twenty-five miles, in 

 the ordinary way, and did not get one chicken to fifty eggs, while out of 

 another lot, carried in my hands in this way, not one missed." He said : " As 

 a general rule, it may be set down for fact, that eggs that have beea trans- 

 ported by railroad will never bring forth chickens." This is important in- 

 formation, and should be well remembered. So, too, let it be remembered 

 that eggs intended for incubation can not be too carefully handled in t;dcing 

 them from the nests and keeping them about the house till the hen is ready 

 to take them in charge. 



20G. Selling Eggs l>y WeiRhd — We have frequently recommended that eggs 

 should always be sold by weight, instead of by count. "\Ve recommended it 

 because we thought it more fair both for producer and consumer ; but really, 

 with the present sj'stem of trade, we do not sec much to encourage the change, 

 and nothing to encourage the production of eggs of a large size while small 

 ones sell at the same price as the largest, per dozen or hundred, and consumers 

 are guilty of the great folly of making no distinction. Do they ever think of 

 the diti'erenco in weight? Do they know how many eggs there should be 

 to the pound ? The largest-sized eggs of the common barn-door fowl weigh 

 three ounces each, but tlie average is about ten to the pound. "We inquired 

 once of a retail groceryman, " Have you any fresh eggs V " Yes ; there is a 

 lot of tine ones, just in, all of this State, in good order." " At what price ?" 

 " Twelve cents a dozen." " May I pick them out at that V " Oh, yes, cer- 

 taiidy ; they are all alike, good." Of this we had no doubt as to the good ; 

 but that they were otherwise alike, wo intended to prove that he was mis- 

 taken. So we picked out a dozen and laid them in the scales, with a 1^ lb. 

 weight opposite, thinking they were just the size that takes eight to the 

 pound, for that is just what good, fair-sized hen's-eggs always will average. 

 These Avere a little heavier, and we added two more, and balanced two 

 pounds — seven eggs to the pound. Then we picked out of the same cask 

 thirteen more, and these weighed just one pound, not quite 100 i)er cent, 

 difi'erence whether you buy large or small eggs. Now, if farmers and fools 

 meet, is it right that the one should take advantage of the other in this way ? 

 or is it right that one man should keep a brood of small hens, the keeiMiig 

 of which costs less than half that of larger ones, and get the same price for 

 the eggs ? If honesty is the best policy in all of our dealings, then it is the 

 best policy to sell eggs by the pound, an<l not by the dozen. 



207. To Preserve EfjgSi — AVe can not vouch for the following. If it is as 

 stated, it is much more simple and convenient than packing in lime, salt, 

 etc. " Provide a small cupboard, safe, or tier of shelves ; bore these sliclvcs 

 full of holes one and a quarter inches in diameter, ami place the eggs in 

 them, point downward. They will keep sound for several months. Other 

 modes, such as packing in salt, etc., depend for their success simply on 

 placing the points down ; the siielves are more convenient and accessible." 



^OS.^Eggs t'onsumed in Euglaud.— In the statistics of British coramerco, 



