39 



should be raised. It is much better for most people to secure 

 hatching eggs or baby chicks from a reliable poultryman than 

 to keep a male for breeding purposes. (See page 25.) As 

 early hatched chicks are the fall egg producers, it is advisable 

 to secure those hatched from about the middle of March to the 

 middle of April. Very early maturing stock, hatched late, may 

 prove satisfactory. At the age of ten weeks the males will be 

 ready for use as broilers, or can be kept for medium or large 

 roasters. The females should be retained for egg production, 

 except those that are stunted or undeveloped. These should be 

 eaten. People who have adequate facilities for raising chicks 

 find it a profitable way to secure their pullets, and the cockerels 

 will reduce the meat bill appreciably. Space will not permit a 

 full discussion of hatching and rearing, but the poultry depart- 

 ment of the college will be glad to forward a bulletin on this 

 subject upon application. 



Preserving Eggs. 



Various methods of preserving eggs have been tried from time 

 to time by experiment stations as well as the United States 

 government, and in practically every instance it was found that 

 water glass (sodium silicate) gave the best results. Eggs pre- 

 served in this were found to be in excellent condition after six 

 or eight months, so it is now coming into general use as an egg 

 preservative. 



As a rule stone jars are used for this purpose, but where 

 large quantities are preserved, wooden receptacles, kegs with 

 one head removed, or barrels sawed in two in the middle can 

 be used. For ordinary family use the stone jars are recom- 

 mended, and the size will vary to suit the convenience of the 

 users. A 5-gallon jar will hold 15 dozen eggs, and will require 

 from 10 to 10| quarts of the liquid to cover them. The base- 

 ment of an ordinary dwelling is a suitable place for storage. 

 A cool room above ground may be used, provided the recepta- 

 cle is tightly covered to prevent rapid evaporation. 



The method of preserving is as follows: clean the jars or 

 receptacles before using. A thorough rinsing with boiling water 

 will aid materially in destroying molds and bacteria. Either 

 hard or soft water may be used, and if it is not contaminated 



