186 FARMING FOR LADIES, [chap. viii. 



that they retain anything like " the milkiness 

 of those neicly layed^ 



The object of those trials which have been 

 made for that purpose, has been either to ex- 

 clude the air effectually from the egg ; to 

 close the pores of the shell ; or, to maintain 

 the yolk in the centre of the white, in order 

 to prevent it from coming into contact with 

 the shell. The exclusion of the air is effected 

 by burying the egg in bran, fine salt, saw- 

 dust, or dry sand, placed in a box covered up 

 and deposited in a wine-cellar, or some room 

 where the temperature of the air will not be 

 exposed to frost. The closing of the pores is 

 done either by greasing the shells with melted 

 suet, or lard (for if butter be used it will be- 

 come rancid), or, to immerse the eggs for a 

 minute or two in boiling water, so as to co- 

 agulate the fdm which surrounds the interior 

 of the shell ; and the prevention of all contact 

 between the shell and yolk is achieved either 

 by placing the eggs in rows with one end 

 downwards, or, by turning them every day. 



We have carefully tried all these experi- 

 ments when preparing this little treatise for 

 publication, but we must observe that, what- 



