34 



BULLETIN 224, U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The sterilizers were built of galvanized iron in two compartments, and had shelves 

 formed of perforated pipes which supplied the steam. A flue from the top of the 

 box was connected with a damper and a fan in order to remove the steam quickly 

 after the sterilization was finished. A thermometer, especially constructed for such 

 work, was a necessary part of the apparatus. One sterilizer was used for cups exclu- 

 sively and was supplied with wire-bottomed trays which rested on the steam pipes 

 and were made to fit the space. The other sterilizer was used for buckets, shell tubs, 

 and other bulky equipment. An auxiliary wash room with a sink and a sterilizer 

 was a part of the drying-room equipment. 



CONDITIONS PREVAILING EVERY THIRD WEEK FROM APRIL TO SEPTEMBER. 



Visit No. 1 {April 22 to 27). 



There were seven visits of one week each made to E house during the season of 1912. 

 At the time of the first visit the refrigerating machinery was not in operation, but the 

 temperature in the candling room and the breaking room was from 60° F. to 65° F., 



due to the cool weather. 

 Steam was plentiful and the 

 sterilizers and wash room 

 were in operation. The 

 breaking room had the 

 equipment already de- 

 scribed, with the exception 

 of the new breaking outfit. 

 A makeshift was used while 

 waiting until the new forms 

 of apparatus arrived. It was 

 sloppy; therefore, the girls 

 were forced to use cloths to 

 wipe tables, cups, hands, 

 and, sometimes, the floor. 

 These rags were always wet 

 and always unsightly. A 

 bacterial examination of the 

 water squeezed from 12 of 

 them showed that they were 

 carrying germs to the num- 

 ber of 150,000,000 to each 

 cubic centimeter. Until the 

 improved apparatus was ob- 

 tained it was decided to 

 substitute clean pieces of 

 cheesecloth for the indis- 

 criminate rags and to wash and sterilize them twice daily. The breakers were 

 provided with clean white gowns and caps. Each girl was given a clean towel every 

 morning. 



All apparatus which came in contact with the egg was sterilized after washing, and 

 laboratory tests showed that it was free from bacteria, with the exception of the troughs 

 and brushes used to feed and spread the egg on the drying belt. This difficulty was 

 partially corrected by lengthening the period of steaming, and plans were made to 

 obtain a duplicate set of these devices to permit of sterilizing after each run. 



The supply of eggs. — During this period the egg supply of this house consisted of 

 dirty and cracked eggs sorted by other firms from lots going into storage. It was 

 the custom in this house to candle all incoming stock, regardless of the season. The 

 candlers found a sufficiently large number of incubator rots to warrant this extra 

 grading before submitting the eggs tp the breakers. At this season the eggs were 

 purchased on the "case-count" basis. 



Breaking-room routine. — There were employed at this time 15 girls, with an average 

 output of 14 cases per girl per day of 10 hours. Very few of these girls had been egg 

 breakers. It was deemed best to instruct from the start rather than to remodel objec- 

 tionable fixed habits. A foreman accustomed to ruling girls, but ignorant of the 

 business of egg breaking, was in charge. 



The girls were drilled in the essentials of bacterial cleanliness as well as in the 

 grading of the eggs. They were instructed to wash their hands after a bad egg and 

 to dry them before returning to work. While working, fingers were to be kept dry 

 by means of tissue paper. The aim, however, was so to handle the eggs that the 



Fig. 6.— Egg-breaking outfit (E house, 1912). 



