PRESERVING EGGS 



Of twenty methods of preserving eggs tested in Germany, the 

 three which proved the most effective were coating the eggs with 

 vaseline, preserving them in lime water, and preserving them in 

 water-glass. The conclusion was reached that the last was prefer- 

 able, because varnishing the eggs with vaseline takes considerable 

 time and treating them with the lime water may give them a dis- 

 agreeable taste. These drawbacks are not to be found with eggs 

 preserved in water-glass, which unquestionably is the best pre- 

 servative yet discovered. The most difficult point probably in the 

 use of water-glass for preserving eggs is its tendency to vary in 

 quality. As a matter of fact, there are two or three kinds of water- 

 glass, and in addition to the fact that the buyer does not always 

 have a distinct idea as to what he wants, the local druggist may not 

 know all about it, or he may not know which kind is best for pre- 

 servative purposes. The main use of these preparations for years 

 has been the rendering of fabric non-inflammable. This use in the 

 Royal Theater of Munich has rendered the place fireproof by its 

 use as a varnish in the fresco work, woodwork, scenery and cur- 

 tains. It is also used for hardening stone and protecting it from 

 the action of the weather. It was thus used many years ago, to ar- 

 rest the decay of the stones in the British Houses of Parliament. 

 The use of this medium for egg preservation is comparatively new, 

 especially in this country, and it is not to be wondered at that deal- 

 ers do not always supply just what is wanted. 



Different Names for Water Glass 



If we used the term soluble glass or "dissolved glass" in prefer- 

 ence to either water-glass or silicate of soda, it might better de- 

 scribe just what we want, although one of the other names mighl 

 be preferable when ordering of the druggist- This term expresses 

 exactly what the material is. When we buy it by the pint or quart, 

 we get dissolved glass. When we buy it dry, we get a soluble glass 

 powder sometimes like powdered stone, sometimes white and glassy 

 as to its particles. The powdered forms are supposed to dissolve in 

 boiling water, but they do not dissolve readily, and must often be 

 kept boiling for some hours. 



Water-glass is made by melting together pure quartz and a caus- 

 tic alkali, soda or potash, and sometimes a little charcoal. 



Several of our Experiment Stations have made some rather ex- 

 haustive experiments with this dissolved glass in preserving eggs. 

 The reports are, without exception, in favor of it. No other pre- 

 servative is reported as being equal to this one. The stuff is invari- 

 ably described as a thick or jelly-like liquid, and the proportions 

 recommended are one pint of the silicate of soda to nine pints of 

 water, although the Rhode Island Station reports experiments in 

 which as low as two per cent of water-glass was used with favor- 

 able results. This is done to find out how little could be used, but 

 this small proportion was not recommended. Further trials may 

 show that less than nine to one may be reliable. 



