UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 BULLETIN No. 664 



Contribution from the Bureau of Chemistry 

 CARL L. ALSBERG, Chief 



Washington, D. C. 



April 25, 1918 



THE PREVENTION OF BREAKAGE OF 



EGGS IN TRANSIT WHEN SHIPPED 



INCARLOTS 



By 



M. E. PENNINGTON, Chief, Pood Research Laboratory, H. A. McALEER, 



Investigator in Poultry and Egg Handling, and A. D. GREENLEE, 



Assistant Chemist, assisted by F. X. DAILEY and H. C. ALBIN 



CONTENTS 



Reason for the Investigation 



Amount of Damage to Eggs During 



Marketing 



Progress of the Investigation: 



General Plan 



Conditions at Point of Origin: 



The Eggs and the Package . . . 



Transfer of Eggs from Packing 



House to Car ....... 



Stowing the Load 



Placing Cases in Car ..... 5 



Buffing the Load with Straw . . 6 

 Buffing the Load with Wooden 



Frames 7 



Bracing the Load 8 



The Railroad Haul 9 



Conditions at the Terminal .... 10 



Page 



Results of the Investigation: 



Factors Contributing to Transit 



Damage 12 



The Size of the Egg 13 



The Soundness of the Eggshell . 

 The Character of the Package . 

 The Position of the Egg in the 



Package ......... 



The Position of the Case in the 



Car 



The Character of the Buffing and 



Bracing of the Load .... 



The Construction of the Car . . 



Shocks During the Haul . . . 



Handling at the Terminal . . . 



Summary ............ 



18 



20 

 26 

 27 

 28 

 30 



WASHINGTON 



GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 



1918 



