318 THE RURAL EFFICIENCY GUIDE STOCK 



(f) Presence of foreign matter in eggs : Small blood streaks or clots. This 

 condition is found in many fresh laid eggs. Often eggs are laid which show 

 small clots the size of a pea. These are sometimes termed "liver" or "meat" 

 spots. 



(g) Badly misshapen eggs : Eggs which are extremely long or very flat, 

 or in which part of the shell's surface is raised in the form of a ring; in other 

 instances a number of hard, wartlike growths appear on the outside of the 

 shell. 



Spots. Eggs in which bacteria or mold growth has developed locally and 

 caused the formation of a lumpy adhesion on the inside of the shell. There 

 are three well recognized classes of mold spots namely: White, brown and 

 black. In cases where an infertile egg has been subjected to natural heat for 

 a sufficient period of time, the yolk will often settle and become fixed to the 

 membrane. This condition might be termed a "plainspot." 



Blood Rings. Eggs in which the embryo has developed to a sufficient 

 extent so that it is quickly recognized when held before the candle. It has 

 been found that it requires between twenty-four and thirty-six hours of incu- 

 bation under a setting hen to produce this condition. 



Rots. Eggs which are absolutely unfit for food. The different classes 

 of rots may be defined as follows : 



(a) Black rot: This is the easiest class of rots to recognize and, conse- 

 quently, the best known. When the egg is held before the candle the contents 

 have a blackish appearance, and in most cases the air cell is very prominent. 

 The formation of hydrogen-sulphide gas in the egg causes the contents to 

 blacken and gives rise to the characteristic rotten egg smell and sometimes 

 causes the egg to explode. 



(b) White rot : These eggs have a characteristic sour smell. The con- 

 tents become watery, the yolk and white mixed, and the whole egg offensive 

 to both the sight and the smell. It is also known as the "mixed rot." 



(c) Spot rot : In this the foreign growth has not contaminated the entire 

 egg, but has remained near the point of entrance. Such eggs are readily picked 

 out with the candle and when broken show lumpy particles adhering to the 

 inside of the shell. These lumps are of various colors and appearances. It 

 is probable that spot rots are caused as much by mold as bacteria, but for 

 practical purposes the distinction is unnecessary. 



To all intents and purposes the spot rot, as explained above, is practically 

 the same as the brown and black spots described under the general head of 

 "spots." The spot rot is also placed under the general head of rots, simply 

 because some candlers will call it a spot while others designate it as a spot 

 rot. Pink and blood rots are names which are also applied to certain classes 

 of rotten eggs, the pink rot deriving its name from the peculiar pinkish color 

 of the contents when held before the candle. The same is true of the blood 

 rot, which is bloody or red in appearance. 



If the farmer will study the foregoing and then grade his eggs accord- 

 ingly, he will s.oon obtain better prices and will build a reputation for quality 

 which will soon result in a gain for him financially. 



