IS 



BUI ll'.TIY nf,4, T T . S. DEPARTMENT <>F AORTCULTTJRE. 



The increased protection afforded by strictly new, as compared 

 with old, fillers is strikingly brought out in the laboratory tests, as 

 well as under practical conditions. Of course, there is a wide varia- 

 tion in old fillers, if all fillers which have Ween used are so designated. 

 Taking fillers which are distinctly defective, in having some bent 

 and more or less softened tips, the damage is frequently five times 

 that in new fillers. For example, 99 foot-pounds of energy de- 

 livered in the form of two blows, evenly distributed over the end of 

 a case having 6 inches of sliding room, crushed 6.5 per cent of the 

 eggs in old fillers, while the same treatment crushed only 1 per cent 

 of the eggs packed in perfectly new fillers. Such resttlts indicate 

 that much stress should be laid upon the importance of new fillers 

 in the safe shipping of eggs. 



Top and bottom cushions. — The quarter filler recently brought into 

 use as a cushion in the bottom of the egg case will support an evenly 

 applied weight of 900 pounds, which is amply adequate to carry the 

 load to which it is subjected. It provides a perfectly even cushion, 

 another essential in securing safe transportation of eggs. If the 

 bottom of the case becomes wet, this quarter filler is likely to 

 flatten out, ceasing to act as a cushion. When excelsior is used as a 

 bottom cushion it must be plentiful and evenly distributed, and a 

 flat must always be laid over it before inserting the first filler. A 

 comparison of the efficiency of corrugated flats and properly ap- 

 plied excelsior as a cushion in the top of egg cases showed that they 

 afforded practically the same protection. Excelsior must be laid 

 evenly over the top flat, and must be sufficient to fill the space in the 

 top of the case, but not enough to cause a bulging of the lid. In no 

 case should a wad of excelsior be placed on the center of the top 

 flat (PI. VII). • 



THE POSITION OF THE EGO IN THE PACKAGE. 



Practical experience has shown that damage to the eggshell is 

 more common in the rows next to the ends and center and in the top 

 layer than in those deeper in the case. The relative safety of the 

 different rows is seen from the data given in Table 7. 



Table 7. — Damage in different rows in the case. 





Description of cars. 



Section of case. 





End. 



Second 

 row. 



Third 

 row. 



Center. 



Straw buffed 



Per cent. 

 1.39 

 1.G4 

 2.95 



Per cent. 

 1.04 

 1.44 

 2.04 



Per cent. 

 0.95 

 1.17 

 1.73 



Per cent. 

 0.97 





1.30 





1.46 







