242 PRESERVING AND SALE OF EGGS. 



broods. These sell at highest market-prices, 

 and continue to do so as long as possible ; but 

 to the breeders of pure strains of poultry I 

 would give this advice : never sell at market at 

 all ; the price is not sufficiently remunerative, 

 and it is far better to preserve even your most 

 valuable eggs, or eat them, than to run the risk 

 of their being set and hatched to supplant your 

 birds perhaps at your own county exhibition of 

 poultry. Sell, of course, at setting price, but no 

 other. November, December, and January are 

 bad egg months generally with the common run 

 of fowls, and setting for spring chickens com- 

 mences ; so, except any small or malformed eggs 

 (all which should go into the preserving jars), 

 there are not many to spare for market, and we 

 are very glad to have an abundant supply of 

 well-preserved, I may even say fresh, eggs for 

 kitchen use, reserving choice, new-laid eggs for 

 the breakfast-table. I have, as a great favour, 

 frequently supplied the table of royalty from 

 my poultry-yard when all other sources failed in 

 Scotland. With a system of poultry manage- 

 ment there need never be a dearth ; and I was 



