40 BULLETIN" 224, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



the fourth day as on the second. The bacteria, therefore, had not multiplied suffi- 

 ciently to break down the protein material of the egg. 



The management held the regular receipts, including the checks, until all the wet 

 eggs were broken. Two samples taken of the liquid product made from cracked 

 eggs kept in a chill room four days had a count of 4,500,000 in one case and 5,400,000 

 in the other, as compared with 1,100,000 and 1,600,000 in eggs broken immediately 

 on receipt. These results show the deleterious effect of holding warm-weather checks, 

 even if they are kept in cool surroundings. 



Visit No. 7 (August 19 to 24). 



The seventh and last trip to this house was made during the last week the plant 

 was in operation. 



_ The breaking stock consisted of the same classes of eggs as are discussed under the 

 sixth visit, with the exception of some dirty eggs which, had been in storage since 

 the middle of April. The low quality of the receipts was shown by the fact that 

 over 20 per cent was rejected by candling. Since it was impossible to purchase a 

 sufficient supply of eggs to fill the orders for the desiccated product, the firm was 

 melting frozen stock prepared earlier in the season and mixing it with the liquid 

 egg direct from the breakers. 



With the decrease in receipts the candling, breaking, and drying forces were 

 reduced. It now required only eight girls to break the egg supply. 



During the interval between this and the previous trip daily samples were taken 

 from the^ large storage tanks. These samples were obtained before the management 

 began mixing frozen and liquid egg, hence they are comparable with previous sam- 

 ples from the large tanks. Table E-IV (Appendix), visit No. 7, shows that the 

 average count of samples taken on the sixth visit was 4,300,000 per gram; of the 

 specimens obtained on the present trip, 5,700,000. A similar increase in the amount 

 of loosely bound nitrogen was also observed. These results also show the low quality 

 of the receipts. 



Five samples of the liquid mixture, composed of frozen and shell eggs, gave, as 

 expressed in Table E-V (Appendix), under visit No. 7, counts varying from 6,400,000 

 to 19,000,000 per gram. The amount of ammoniacal nitrogen determined was greater 

 than was ordinarily found in food egg. From a bacteriological and chemical view- 

 point these samples showed more deterioration than any previous series of specimens 

 taken from the food product prepared by this house. The deleterious effect of 

 rehandling the frozen eggs, together with the low quality of the shell-egg stock, is the 

 probable explanation of this low-quality product. Since the laboratory results of 

 these samples are not comparable with those of the general output, they will not be 

 included in the general averages. 



CONDITIONS OBSERVED IN F HOUSE DURING TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS. 



Season of 1911. 

 construction, equipment, and routine. 



The building in which this egg-breaking plant is established is built of brick and 

 is several stories in height. The room in which the eggs are broken was located in 

 a corner of the second floor and faced two streets. It had three windows on one side 

 and one on the other. In cool weather — which was but seldom — these windows were 

 kept closed. They were screened against flies. A supply of air, which was washed 

 but not chilled, was fanned into this room, but it was not considered adequate for 

 ventilation. At one end of the room a raised concrete platform held a sink with hot 

 and cold water and a small steam table; along one side of the room was another con- 

 crete platform holding churns for the mixing of the egg. The remainder of the room, 

 which was occupied by the egg breakers, was floored with hard maple. The walls and 

 ceiling were plaster, white enameled. Two doors, one at each end of a side wall, 

 served for entrance and exit. The temperature of the room seldom rose above 80° F. 



The 40 girls employed worked at five zinc-covered tables. One girl at each table 

 presided over the other seven and was responsible to the foreman. White caps and 

 half-sleeve gowns were worn, completely covering all garments. 



Early in the season the eggs were emptied from the shells into white-enameled 

 cups, three of which were set in a white-enameled pie plate. The shells were cut 

 on a small piece of steel clamped across one cup. This apparatus is pictured in figure 

 7. Yolks, whites, whole firsts, whole seconds, and tanners' grades were made. The 

 drippings from the eggs collected in the plates and were objectionable. A suggestion 

 to the manager resulted in the placing of metal racks in the pie plates, thus lifting 

 the bottom of the cups out of the drip. 



