Oct., 1937] 



Eggs Under the Hammer 



41 



1934. This was one factor leading up to the New Hampshire Fresh 

 Egg Law (effective July 1, 1935) which required that all sizes of both 

 retail and wholesale eggs be marked. A check was made on news- 

 paper advertisements of retail eggs beginning in July, 1935, and con- 

 tinuing for a year. 



Of the 941 advertisements checked for the year, 37 per cent did not 

 state size along with price as required by law. However, much im- 

 provement has been made. In July and August, 1935, only 20-25 per 

 cent of the advertisements for sale of eggs stated size. In May and 

 June, 1936, 83-85 per cent stated size. 



An analysis of the advertisements (1935-36) showed that 37 per 

 cent did not state size, 31 per cent were on large size eggs, 23 per cent 

 on medium size eggs, 4 per cent on pullet eggs, and 5 per cent on un- 



classified eggs. Since many of those which did not state size were for 

 cheap eggs we may say that in general the advertisements feature eggs 

 selling below the average retail price. 



Few Underweight Large Eggs Sold by Retail Stores 



Inspections made by the State Department of Agriculture in 88 New 

 Hampshire towns and cities are shown in Table 15. 



It is evident that the smaller sizes are less well marked as to size 

 than the large eggs. There are about twice as many cases where the 

 tolerance is exceeded on individual eggs in the dozen as where the doz- 

 en lots are underweight. 



From a practical standpoint the weight of the dozen seems more im- 

 portant than the fact that a few individual eggs are under or over size. 

 There are, of course, cases where the uniformity of size is important. 

 A restaurant or hotel would not wish to have eggs that varied conspic- 

 uously in size on the plates of patrons, for dissatisfaction is created. 

 Also a dozen or case of eggs which is uniform in size is more attractive 



