CHAPTER XXXII 

 PRESERVING EGGS 



No article of diet of animal origin is more commoniy eaten by 

 all classes in all countries and in a greater variety of ways than 

 eggs. They form one of our principal elements of food, and as 

 such they are always in great demand. Unfortunately, however, 

 the daily supply is not in proportion to the daily demand. We 

 want just as many eggs in the fall and winter as we do in the 

 spring and summer, but unless we store them, they are not avail- 

 able. Dealers realize the importance of this — ^witness the stocks 

 they place in cold storage each year. Why should the individual 

 not exercise the same forethought? It is entirely practicable, 

 and the investment required is small, outside of the cost of the 

 eggs themselves. 



Virtues of Cold Storage. — It is strange and interesting to note 

 how some of our conventions and prejudices have evolved, and 

 how far removed from the truth are some of the popular beliefs. 

 Many people regard cold storage eggs, and all those connected 

 with the business, including the producer, middleman and re- 

 tailer, as being traffickers in a more or less illegitimate product. 

 Among some the very name cold storage is as odious as adultera- 

 tion ; and they rail against the practice as though it were a form 

 of knavery. Such a belief is absolutely false. 



The cold-storage industry is a development of the past thirty 

 years, and as a whole it has been of enormous benefit to both the 

 producer and the consumer. Of this there can be no doubt 

 if one will only take the trouble to look into the subject a little. 

 Placing eggs in storage has tended to make the prices of this com- 

 modity more uniform throughout the year, and to increase fall 

 and winter consumption. 



"How is that?" someone will ask. "I remember when you 



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