Preserving Eggs Fresh. 251 



round. If too cold, the eggs will freeze and crack, if too 

 warm, they will commence to decay and get stale sooner than 

 they otherwise would. Shelves should be fitted up with holes 

 bored in them, sufficiently large to keep the eggs upstanding, 

 but, of course, not large enough to allow them to pass 

 through. These shelves will be very inexpensive and will serve 

 a lifetime. The eggs should be placed in these holes broad- 

 end downivards, and tests have proved that they will keep 

 fresh in this position, very much longer than with the broad 

 end upwards. Some keep eggs in bran, but the pierced 



Fig. 14. — Travelling Egg Box. 



board is much preferable, and the free circulation of the 

 air round the eggs, assists greatly in their preservation. 

 Instead of the pierced shelves, cardboard partitions, as used 

 in egg boxes, may be adopted, but we do not think that they 

 are so good or so handy. 



The advantage of getting eggs to market as soon as 

 possible after being laid, has led to the adoption of special 

 boxes for the purpose of sending them by rail. The old 

 system of packing in straw may serve very well where time 

 is of little object, but it is clumsy and not very safe. The 

 boxes we are now speaking of, are made in almost all sizes 

 from one dozen upwards, and consist of strong square 



