EGGS 



189 



lucent and without marked yellowish or amber coloration. The 

 yolk should be uniformly soft and entirely free from all lumpiness 

 and should not be adherent to the shell. 



Eggs are preferably used in the comparatively fresh state, 

 that is, within a few days or at the longest 8 days after they are 

 laid. It is, however, not always possible or practicable to use 

 the eggs while still fresh, and egg preservation has become a very 

 important industry. Eggs may be preserved in brine, in liquid 

 glass and in various chemical preservatives. They may also 

 be preserved in oil, in lard, or coated with tallow, wax or parafl&n, 



Fig. 65. — Egg membrane as seen under the high power of the compound 

 microscope (X 450). 



in order to keep out air bacteria and molds and also to check the 

 evaporation of moisture from the interior. There is an opinion 

 among some poultrymen that eggs will keep much longer if 

 placed in a definite position (vertically with narrower end down). 

 The now generally employed and preferred method for preserv- 

 ing eggs is to keep them in storage at a temperature as low as it 

 is possible to make it. This is perhaps the simplest and 

 cheapest method for keeping eggs in the natural state. However, 

 as already stated, cold storage eggs gradually deteriorate, through 

 bacterial invasion and through loss of moisture, in direct ratio to 



