CHAPTER IX. 
PRESERVING EGGS FOR MARKET. 
To preserve eggs for a considerable time the pores of 
the shell must be stopped up, for two reasons: to pre- 
vent the entrance of the air, and consequent spoiling of 
the contents, and to prevent the evaporation of the moist- 
ure of the egg and a drying-up of the contents. There 
are two principal methods of doing this. One is, to 
smear the surface of the eggs with something that will 
close the pores, and-then pack them in some material 
that will practically exclude the air. The eggs are 
smeared with lard, coated with linseed or cotton-seed 
oil, or with shellac varnish, and are afterwards packed 
in bran, dry sand, or other similar material. These 
methods will answer for home use; but whatever may be 
the coating material, the surface of the shells will have 
an unnatural appearance, which will prevent their ready 
sale in the markets. The only practical method to pre- 
serve eggs to be sold is to place them in milk of lime, 
which is another name for whitewash, and is prepared 
precisely as for whitewashing. The fresh eggs are 
packed in a barrel, and the lime-wash, well stirred and 
then strained, is poured over them. The eggs must be 
fresh when packed, and must be kept in a cool place. 
The eggs, according to the extent of the operations, are 
placed in barrels or in brick vats or tanks, built for the 
purpose. The dealers who handle large quantities of 
eggs have brick tanks built ina cool cellar. Any vessel, 
such as a but or barrel, will answer the purpose in a 
small way as well as the tanks. The eggs when sent to 
market are removed from the lime and thoroughly 
washed, and when dry are packed in barrels of cut straw, 
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