QUALITY IN EGGS 
Eggs when laid vary considerably in size, but otherwise are 
a very uniform product. The purpose of the egg in nature 
requires that this be the case, because the contents of the egg 
must be so proportioned as to form the chick without surplus 
or waste, and this demands a very constant chemical composi- 
tion. 
For food purposes all fresh eggs are practically equal. The 
tint of the yolk varies a little, being a brighter yellow when 
green food has been supplied the hens. Occasionally, when 
hens eat unusual quantities of green food, the yolk show a 
greenish brown tint, and appear dark to the candler. Such 
eggs are called grass eggs; they are perfectly wholesome. 
An opinion exists among egg men that the white of the 
spring egg is of finer quality and will stand up better than 
summer eggs. This is true enough of commercial eggs, but 
the difference is chiefly, if not entirely, due to. external factors 
that act upon the egg after it is laid. 
There are some other peculiarities that may exist in eggs at 
the time of laying, such as a blood clot enclosed with the con- 
tents of the egg, a. broken yolk or perhaps bacterial contamina- 
tion. “Tape worms,” so-called by egg candlers, are detached 
portions of the membrane lining of the egg. “Liver spots” or 
“meat spots” are detached folds from the walls of the oviduct. 
Such abnormalities are rare and not worth worrying about. 
The shells of eggs vary in shape, color and firmness. These 
variations are more a matter of breed and individual idiosyn- 
crasy than of care or feed. 
The strength of egg shells is important because of the loss 
from breakage. The distinction between weak and firm shelled 
eggs is not one, however, which can be readily remedied. 
Nothing more can be advised in this regard than to feed a 
ration containing plenty of mineral matter and to discard 
hens that lay noticeably weak shelled or irregularly shaped 
eges. 
Preference in the color of eggs shells is a hobby, and one 
well worth catering to. As is commonly stated, Boston and 
surrounding towns want brown eggs, while New York and San 
Francisco demand white eggs. These trade fancies take their 
origin in the circumstances of there being large henneries in 
the respective localities producing the particular class of eggs. 
If the eggs from such farms are the best in the market and 
were uniformly of a particular shade, that mark of distinction, 
like the trade name on a popular article, would naturally be- 
come a selling point. Only the select trade consider the color 
in buying. 
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