best table birds. It is reported that Orkney during recent years 

 exported eggs to the value of 60 ooo, which was more than the 

 rental of the whole of the islands. 



Simple Scotch Method for Preserving Eggs. -- Monthly Con- 

 sular Reports. Washington, March 1909, No. 342, p. in. 



The following information is given by U. S. Consul Maxwell 

 Blake, of Dunfermline. 



The great fluctuation in the price of fresh eggs in Great Bri- 

 tain, ranging from 15 cents per dozen in summer to 60 to 75 cents 

 per dozen in winter and procured with difficulty even then - 

 gives popularity to the economical practice of artificially preserving 

 them during the cheap season ; the most successful method employed 

 by the householder being as follows: 



Mix together in an earthenware jar 9 parts of boiled water, 

 which has been thoroughly cooled, and i part of glass-water (sodium 

 silicate). Glass water is obtained by fusing 2 parts of quartz sand 

 with i of sodium carbonate, adding one-tenth part of small coal. 

 Place the cool cleaned eggs into a jar and cover well with the 

 liquid, continually adding sufficient liquid to keep the eggs entirely 

 covered as others are added. Water-glass can be purchased in 

 Great Britain of chemists, and generally bears on the labels the 

 exact proportion to be used, varying from 3 to 10 per cent. Eggs 

 preserved in this way are less brittle in the shell than those pre- 

 served in lime water, and will sometimes boil without cracking if a 

 small pin-point aperture is made in them. 



The proportions used for the lime preservative in Scotland are 

 20 gallons of water, 4 of lime, and i of salt. Allow to stand for 

 a few hours, then pour it over the eggs in the same way as the 

 water glass. A little lime should be added from time to time, 

 during the period of preservation ; otherwise, the solution will lose 

 its strength. The eggs preserved in this way become rough and 

 brittle and must be handled carefully when taken out for use. 



The popular method of preserving eggs by cold storage in the 

 United States is not at all general in Great Britain, and it is rather 

 surprising that more has not been done along these lines. 



When eggs are only required to be preserved for two or three 

 months they keep very well packed in dry salt or bran. The meat 

 of the egg may shrink and rattle within the shell when shaken, 

 but its edibility is not impaired. Coating the egg with vaseline or 



