156 



DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



[Chap. I. 



lowing directions are iutelligeutly carried out, there will be very little doubt 

 of success. 



Be sure (especially in the summer season) that your eggs arc not only 

 sound, but recently laid. Eggs may be " candled" or examined by the 

 " ooniscope," and repacked at the "West; but if they are stale, though still 

 aj-iparently sound, they will be sure to reach this market in bad order, or 

 will so rapidly change, on being opened, that dealers will be sure to lose 

 money on them. The motion of the cars over sucii long distances so mud- 

 dles all eggs, not entirely fresh, that they appear cloudy and stale, and will 

 soon spoil, if indeed they arc not already unsalable. 



T^se very strong, stiff barrels, put a little soft straw or hay evenly over 

 the bottom with a stiff paper on the top of the straw, then oats or cut straAV, 

 say, two to three inches, then a layer of eggs, laid snugly together upon the 

 sides, evenly imbedded in the oats, with the ends toward but about one inch 

 from the staves. Cover the layer with oats and shake down gently but thor- 

 oughly, leaving, say, one inch of oats upon the layer of eggs ; thus continue 

 shaking down thoroughly with each layer until the barrel is full. Place 

 about three inches of oats over the last layer, then a stiff paper and a 

 little soft hay or straw next the head, filling so high that the head must be 

 pressed to its place by a lever or other mechanical power, that the contents 

 may be held so firmly that they can never shift or loosen in the barrels. In 

 the winter, to guard against frost, use more packing, leaving the eggs farther 

 from the sides of the barrels. Use clean, bright oats; they are salable at 

 all seasons, though of late merchants seem to prefer cut straw. Mark plainly 

 tlie number of dozen and the (luantity of oats in each barrel. Ee very par- 

 ticular to have the count riglit. A good reputation for accuracy is very 

 valuable. 



One person says: "I use a board some six or eight inches square, with a 

 loop or staple in the center for pressing each layer of oats firmly down. 

 There will be sometiiing gained by lifting and dropi)ing the barrel square on 

 the end, but not by shaking, as it disturbs the layers. "When it gets too 

 heavy to lift, use a board three fourths as large as the head, and get on it, 

 increasing your weight with a spring, and on the head driving it in. The 

 secret lies all in packing the oats. Oats are better worth sending to market 

 than hay, and just as safe. I have sent ten barrels at a time without losing 

 a single egg. You must pack tight, liemember that." 



