BREAKAGE OF EGG'S IN TRANSIT. 3 



Mashed eggs were not recorded in any of these observations. Tn 

 commercial practice such eggs arc reckoned with the total loss, which 

 includes also rotten eggs. Most of the cracked eggs found a market 

 in the city, but their keeping quality was so impaired thai consump- 

 tion had to be immediate, and they were sold at a lowered price. In 

 many instances, also, the cracked and leaking eggs provoked so much 

 bickering between shipper, carrier, and receiver that the (^(i; trade 

 itself suffered. Quite aside from this phase of the situation, however, 

 the actual damage to a valuable food product, as indicated by the 

 foregoing figures, would abundantly warrant any reasonable reforms 

 by which the amount might be lessened. 



PROGRESS OF THE INVESTIGATION. 



GENERAL PLAN. 



The work here reported was begun in Texas, in March, in the early 

 part of the carlot shipping season, and gradually progressed toward 

 the north until September, when the investigators had reached 

 Minnesota. The lack of eggs made it difficult to get carlots after 

 ihe middle of September. Shipments went to eastern markets, rang- 

 ing from Pittsburgh and Buffalo on the west, to Boston on the north, 

 and to Philadelphia on the south. 



The investigation was carried on for two seasons in 32 packing 

 houses, 5 of which Avere under observation both years. The ship- 

 ments were observed in 39 eastern terminals in 20 large and medium- 

 sized cities. In 5 cities shipments w T ere received during both years. 

 The total number of consignees was 33. All of the shipments were 

 made in refrigerator cars, 23 refrigerator car lines being represented. 

 The various routings, combined, covered most of the great trunk 

 lines passing from West to East, and involved 32 railroads. The 

 average haul was 1,200 miles. Records at origin and destination of 

 147 shipments were kept. In addition to this, many examinations 

 were made at the terminals of carlots, on which less definite informa- 

 tion was obtainable, but from which, nevertheless, much that was 

 instructive v could be learned. Occasionally investigators accompanied 

 freight trains on which experimental shipments were being carried 

 to observe the effect of fast or ordinary running, sAvitching, coupling, 

 and other conditions in transit. 



CONDITIONS AT POINT OF ORIGIN. 



THE EGGS AND THE PACKAGE. 



In order to determine the soundness of the eggs which left the 

 point of origin the investigators examined from 3 to 10 cases, taken 

 at random from the stack of cased eggs which had been candled or 

 clicked and were ready for shipment. The number and character 



