QUALITY IN EGGS 
Eggs of all Mediterranean breeds are white. Those of Asi- 
atics are brown. Those of the American breeds are usually 
brown, but not of so uniform a tint. ; 
The size of eggs is chiefly controlled by the breed or by 
selection of layers of large eggs. In a number of experiments 
published by various experiment stations, slight differences 
in the sizes of the eggs have been noted with varying rations 
and environment, but this cannot be attributed to anything 
more specific than the general development and vigor of the 
fowls. Pullets, at the beginning of the laying period, lay an 
nee decidedly smaller than those produced at a later stage in 
ife. 
The egg size table on page 133 gives the size of representa- 
tive classes of eggs. These figures must not be applied too 
rigidly, as the eggs of all breeds and all localities vary. They 
are given as approximate averages of the eggs one might rea- 
sonably expect to find in the class mentioned. 
How Eggs Are Spoiled. 
Dirty eggs are grouped roughly in three classes: (A) Plain 
dirties, those to which soil or dung adheres; (B) stained eggs, 
those caused by contact with damp straw or other material 
which discolors the shell (plain dirties when washed usually 
show this appearance); (C) smeared eggs, those covered with 
the contents of broken eggs. 
For the first two classes of dirty eggs the producer is to 
blame. The third class originates all along the route from 
the nest to consumer. The percentage of dirty eggs varies 
with the season and weather conditions, being noticeably 
increased during rainy weather. In grading, about five per 
cent. of farm grown eggs are thrown out as dirties. These 
dirties are sold at a loss of at least twenty per cent. 
The common trade name for cracked eggs is checks. Blind 
checks are those in which the break in the shell is not readily 
observable. They are detected with the aid of the candle, or 
by sounding, which consists of clicking the eggs together. 
Dents are checks in which the egg shell is pushed in without 
rupturing the membrane. Leakers have lost part of the con- 
tents and are not only an entire loss themselves, but produce 
smeared eggs. 
The loss from breakage varies considerably with the amount 
of handling in the process of marketing. A western produce 
house, collecting from grocers by local freight will record 
from four to seven per cent. of checks. With properly handled 
eggs the loss through breakage should not run over one or 
two per cent. 
Eggs in which the chick has begun to develop are spoken of 
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