GJ 



Introduction 



The United States Department of Agriculture gives notice that: Shipments 

 containing more than five per cent of bad eggs will be regarded as violating 

 the Food and Drugs Act. 



"In the opinion of; that Department, eggs which contain yolks stuck to 

 the shell (Spots), Blood Rings, Red or White Rots, Green Whites, Sour Rots, 

 Moldy Eggs, and any other eggs which consist wholly or in part of a filthy, 

 decomposed, or putrid substance, are adulterated. 



"Eggs which are adulterated may be shipped in interstate or foreign com- 

 merce for use in tanning or other technical ways, without violating the provi- 

 sions of the Food and Drugs Act only, if they are first denatured so as to ren- 

 der them incapable of being used for food. Since it is impracticable to denature 

 eggs in the shell, adulterated eggs must be broken out and denatured prior to 

 shipment. ' ' 



Both the Federal and State authorities are determined to enforce the ]aws 

 governing the sale of bad eggs. It follows that dealers in eggs should be 

 extremely careful in the matter of making sure that the stock they offer for 

 sale meets the law's requirements. 



While the officials will consider that any lots of eggs destined for food pur- 

 poses and containing a maximum of 5 per cent bad ones as being barely pass-, 

 able, still they will be liable to view with suspicion any lots containing that num- 

 ber of bad ones, or perhaps less, as being stock that was not candled with the view 

 to eliminate all bad ones, but candled to leave in as many bad eggs as one dared 

 and escape prosecution. In that event ic might give the owner a bad reputa- 

 tion and should make him an object of suspicion in any future dealings; because 

 it probably would be a difficult matter to convince the officials that one meant 

 to be fair, in view of the fact, that means were at hand to assist the owners 

 of eggs in putting their stock into salable condition if they were so minded 

 to employ them. Ignorance would hardly serve as a mitigating circumstance in 

 these days of candling lamps and colored egg charts. 



With the many candling appliances so easily obtainable, even the producer 

 should not check the blame to the shipper, nor the shipper or retailer to the 

 commission man. The original and each successive owner should be held account- 

 able for the stock he sells. 



Selling or buying eggs ' ' case count ' ' absolves no one from blame for offer- 

 ing bad eggs for food purposes. The officials understand clearly, that the buyer 

 who employs that method is putting a premium on shiftlessness, encourages the 

 seller to shirk his plain duty in the matter of eliminating bad eggs, encourages 

 mediocrity, and encourages an evasion of the law. The authorities will con- 

 sider the "case count" buyer or seller as deliberately hostile to the cause of 

 progress and fair dealing; and in all probability will force the offenders to dis- 

 agreeably realize that buying and selling bad eggs is a poor business financially 

 or otherwise. 



If heat, carelessness, or neglect on the owners part should result in bad 

 eggs, it would be an injustice on their part to make an innocent purchaser the 

 victim because of them. 



Eggs from hens separated from the cockerels at the close of the breeding 

 season are the least impervious to heat; but all eggs begin to deteriorate from 

 the time they are laid and rapidly in hot weather. Candle your eggs at the 

 approach of warm weather! - 



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