EGGS IN COLD STORAGE. 11 



they are unable to maintain a uniform low tempera- 

 ture below 33 F., without danger of. freezing- eggs 

 where they are exposed to the flow of cold air from 

 coils. A house must be nicely equipped to maintain 

 low temperatures with safety. More houses would 

 use temperatures under 32 F., were they able to, 

 without danger to the eg-g-s. A very successful east- 

 ern house issued a pamphlet in 1892. At that time 

 they maintained a temperature of 32 F. to 34 F. in 

 their rooms. In sending- out this little book during 

 the winter of 1897-98 a postscript was added, as fol- 

 lows: " This pamphlet was published in 1892, when 

 our plant was started. Since that time all first- 

 class cold storag-e houses have lowered their temper- 

 atures materially." No better illustration than this 

 can be cited to show the tendency of the times. 

 These people now use a temperature of 30 F. for 

 eg-g-s. 



Most of the replies received contained answers to Re P liesto 



query No. 2. 



question No. 2, and the greater portion state this as 

 being- about 2 F. lower than that recommended for 

 long- period storag-e. It is presumed that these two 

 degrees are allowed as leeway, or margin of safety, 

 for temperature fluctuations. Some state that eg-g-s 

 cannot be safely held below 32 F., but give no reason 

 why, while two or three say a temperature of 27 F. 

 will do no harm to eg-g-s in cases. One reply states 

 that egg's held in cut straw at 25 F. for three months 

 showed no bad symptoms. It has never been made 

 clear how the package can be any protection against 

 temperature, when the temperature has been contin- 

 uously maintained for a length of time sufficient to 

 allow the heat to escape; and we know that eggs will 

 positively freeze at 25 F., as proven by experiments 

 mentioned in another paragraph. 



The answers to question No. 3 were few in num- Replies to 



. ., __... . , 1 query No. 3. 



ber, but cover a wide range. The scarcity of data on 

 this point indicates that few have experimented with 



