58 



In conjunction with whatever efforts raay be made to improve pro- 

 duction conditions, there should be tremendous agitation along the line 

 of improved methods of buying. The old case-count system must be 

 discarded and substituted by the quality or loss-off system. The mer- 

 chant or business man who purchased a bill of goods simply on the 

 guarantee that it would be shipped in a substantial box would be quite 

 likely, as has been the case with the egg man, to get nothing but the box. 

 Just as soon as every egg man insists that all eggs purchased be candled 

 and payment made only for such eggs as are fit for human consumption, 

 are we going to begin to make a marked improvement in the quality of 

 the commercial egg. I am glad to say that this is now being done in 

 several large egg producing 'states and what we want to do is to continue 

 the good work in the State of Pennsylvania. 



The infertile egg is without doubt the most important factor in 

 eliminating the present $45,000,000 loss in handling the nation's egg 

 supply. Carefully conducted experiments show that this class of egg is 

 fifty per cent more resistant to unfavorable environmental conditions than 

 the fertile egg. Egg men in Philadelphia and every other city in the 

 United States should take as their slogan the production of infertile eggs. 

 Advocate the elimination of the male birds as soon as the hatching season 

 is over and, presto! the desired result is obtained. At first thought it 

 appears too simple and absurd to be worthy of serious consideration, but 

 I am willing to go on record with the statement that if we can induce the 

 farmer to produce infertile eggs, and leave out all other considerations as 

 to the improvement of general conditions, the present $45,000,000 loss 

 will be cut in half. 



In closing I leave th5 following suggestions for your consideration. 



See to it that storage eggs are sold as storage eggs. 



Encourage the inculcation of better methods of production on the 

 farm. 



Demand that the loss-off or quality system of buying replace the 

 present absurd case-count system. 



Advocate through whatever channels may be available the produc- 

 tion of infertile eggs. 



There are many other problems connected with this vast egg indus- 

 try, but those touched upon will, I think, provide sufficient work for 

 some time to come. 



Mr. Herbert P. Brown: Last spring cold-storage men had eggs 

 that were worth only twenty cents right from the farmer. 



Mr. Opperman: Yes, I think eggs were only twenty cents, but the 

 great trouble is they do not come to the cold-storage men in the right 

 condition. If they had been sent there direct, I think they would have 

 come out of cold storage just as fine and just as fresh as the day they 

 went in there. Cold storage is a great blessing to humanity, to agricul- 



