1-4 BULLETIN '702, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTURE. 



On breaking 32 cases of rejects from which the good eggs had been 

 salvaged by recandling, an average of 11,8 good eggs per case were 

 found, and a variation of 2.2 to 24.9 per case for different houses 

 (Table 5). Is it worth while to break the rejects without recandling 

 in order to save any good eggs which may be among them? This 

 question must be answered in the negative for the following reasons : 

 First, the senses of the breakers become so blunted and bewildered 

 by the bad eggs incurred, that it is impossible, even under competent 

 supervision, to accurately separate the good from the bad eggs. Sec- 

 ondly, the heavy contamination resulting from the preponderance 

 of bad eggs precludes the preparation of a wholesome, clean product. 

 Thirdly, the cost of the time consumed in changing and sterilizing 

 apparatus after bad eggs (which operation can not be omitted) 

 would overbalance the value of the good eggs saved. 



ACCURACY OF CANDLING CREWS. 



The accuracy of the Avork of different candling crews is influenced 

 by the following factors : 



1. The quality of the eggs to be candled. 



2. The skill of the individual candlers. 



3. The ability of the foreman to grade eggs and to direct a can- 

 dling force. 



4. The enforcement of a system of checking the work of individual 

 candlers. 



The accuracy of the candling of seven different crews was deter- 

 mined from the percentage of bad eggs found on brealdng summer 

 seconds candled as good, and from the percentage of good eggs re- 

 ca-ndled by the foreman or inspector from eggs rejected by indi- 

 A'idual candlers as bad or difficult to grade. 



EXPERIENCED CANDLERS VS. INEXPERIENCED CANDLERS UNDER GOOD 



MANAGEMENT. 



Skilled candling is characteristic of crews in the consuming cen- 

 ters, because work is afforded the whole year and because from them 

 the eggs go to the consumer. When the season of production has 

 passed eggs are withdrawn from storage and candled before being 

 placed on the market. Unskilled candling is typical of the produc- 

 ing districts, as the grading of eggs is carried on only during the 

 commercial laying season, which generally lasts about 5 months. The 

 candlers employed in the spring drift into other occupations in the 

 fall and others take their places the following season. The foremen 

 of candling crews in the producing districts are usually experts who 

 have gained their experience through several seasons of candling, 

 either in the producing districts or in the consuming centers. 



