THE ability to candle accurately is becoming of in- 

 creasing importance to all who are engaged in the 

 production, transportation, and sale of eggs. Buyers 

 are gradually adopting the practice of purchasing eggs 

 on a graded basis as an effective means of reducing the 

 large losses from bad eggs. For the successful opera- 

 tion of such a system a knowledge of candling is indis- 

 pensable. Furthermore, only by candling can a ship- 

 per make certain that his eggs comply with Federal, 

 State, and municipal regulations. 



Eggs are graded for market according to their fresh- 

 ness, cleanliness, size, color, and soundness of shell. 

 Freshness, an egg's most important quality, and sound- 

 ness of shell can be judged best by candling in a dark 

 room. All that is needed is a bright light surrounded 

 by a shield with a small opening before which the egg 

 is held. A kerosene lamp and a piece of stovepipe 

 will suffice for the small candler, but for those who 

 handle large numbers of eggs more elaborate appa- 

 ratus may prove necessary. Two different kinds of 

 egg-candling devices are illustrated in this bulletin. 



The candler must be thoroughly familiar with the 

 structure of the egg. He must know how to hold an 

 egg when candling it. Most important of all, he needs 

 lo become acquainted with the principal distinguishing 

 characteristics of each kind of egg found in commerce 

 before he will be able to determine accurately whether 

 a given egg should be graded as marketable or unmar- 

 ketable. The purpose of this bulletin is to furnish the 

 information required. The candler himself will have 

 to supply the experience. 



Sometimes an egg is so near the border line that it 

 is hard to know whether to class it as good or bad. 

 When there is any doubt as to its fitness for food pur- 

 poses, the candler should reject the egg as inedible; 

 that is, he should give the consumer the benefit of the 

 doubt. 



