2 BULLETIN 565, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



a lower grading and a reduced price for the good eggs he has 

 shipped. The shipper who does not candle his eggs has no check on 

 the candling reports of the consignee and must accept loss off, 

 lowered grading, or other price penalties. 



Knowledge of candling and sorting sufficient to sort eggs by the 

 various commercial grades used in the central markets is, of course, 

 a valuable asset to the country collector and shipper. Ability to use 

 the candle at least with accuracy enough to exclude inedible eggs is 

 becoming an accomplishment essential to all who wish to escape legal 

 difficulties and to market their produce on anything like a profitable 

 basis. The detailed descriptions, diagrams, and colored plates in 

 this bulletin, it is believed, will enable producers, dealers, and house- 

 wives to distinguish with sufficient accuracy between edible and 

 inedible eggs. The authors caution those who are first attempting 

 to candle for market to give the benefit of the doubt to the consumer 

 and to retain for home use any eggs which appear at all questionable 

 before the candle. 



GRADING OF EGGS. 



Eggs are graded for market according to freshness, cleanliness, 

 size, color, and soundness of shell. Sorting according to size, color,, 

 and cleanliness requires only a visual inspection of the egg while it 

 is being held in the hand. At the same time eggs clearly showing 

 damaged shells may be separated. When the crack is so small that 

 it is not easily seen with the naked eye, it can be detected by candling 

 or by clicking two or more eggs together. A cracked egg tapped 

 lightly against a whole egg gives out a deadened sound, quite differ- 

 ent from the clear ring from eggs with unbroken shells. It is com- 

 paratively easy to grade eggs according to appearance and soundness 

 of shell, but it requires knowledge and experience to be able to judge 

 the quality of the contents by candling. 



THE EGG CANDLE. 



The onry equipment necessary for candling eggs is a device which 

 consists of a bright light surrounded by a shield having a small open- 

 ing of sufficient size to receive the egg. Farmers who have few eggs 

 to market can make a candle by using a kerosene lamp as a source of 

 light and a piece of stovepipe about 8 inches long as a shield. The 

 hole should be 1| inches in diameter and should be cut in the pipe 

 just opposite the flame in the lamp. Notches, or small openings, 

 should be cut in the bottom of the pipe opposite the hole, to provide 

 air for the lamp. A candle similar to that just described is shown 

 in figure 1. 



