TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE FACILITIES 



579 



to good preservation, and the time is inordinately long. Is it any 

 wonder, with such conditions prevalent on the farm, that studies made 

 in one of the typical western egg-producing states during the candling 

 season showed the following losses on delivery to the packer ? 



PERCENTAGE OF EGGS CONSTITUTING A TOTAL 

 LOSS AT PACKING HOUSE 



The figures in this table give only those eggs which are a total 

 loss. No mention has been made of the stale eggs, dirty eggs, blood 

 rings, and other sources of partial loss. Note that the greatest num- 

 ber of eggs totally lost is in November, when prices to the farmer are 

 very high. In further confirmation of this fact are some investiga- 

 tions of the quality of eggs brought to the country storekeepers during 

 October, showing that only 25 per cent would rank as "first" on the 

 Chicago markets, 60 per cent were "seconds," owing to long holding, 

 5 per cent were cracked, and 4 per cent were rotten or stuck to the 

 shell from long holding. Some of the farmers at this time had held 

 eggs for four weeks. 



The country merchant handles eggs as a by-product, taking them 

 in exchange for merchandise. He makes his profit on the merchandise 

 taken in trade, not on the eggs, frequently giving an inflated price for 

 them to hold the trade of the desired customer. He, too, is more apt 

 to be careless than careful of them while they are in his possession, 

 storing them in hot or damp quarters and holding them for high prices 

 when production is low. 



The country merchant and peddler buy eggs "case count," rather 

 than "loss off." Buying "case count" means that a uniform price 

 is paid per dozen, irrespective of the quality of the eggs! Rots bring 

 just as much as good eggs. Buying "loss off" means that the eggs 

 are candled before payment is made and rotten and broken eggs 



