A REVOLUTION IN EGG PRODUCTION 53 



five degrees without much variation, for long periods, above 

 or below this range of temperature, and certain conditions of 

 pure air and moisture. There is nothing ofifensive about a 

 hatching egg — the oiifensiveness comes in as a result of a start 

 in incubation, and a subsequent death of the germ. 



Eggs, therefore, must be kept at cool temperatures during 

 the whole period between the nest and the table, and in sani- 

 tary and odorless places. 



Some eggs may be laid containing blood spots, and, while 

 these eggs may be perfectly good, they should not be packed 

 to be sold with high class eggs. To obviate the possibility of 

 this happening, eggs should be "candled" the same day as laid, 

 and eggs showing blood spots should be culled out. 



The cause of blood spots in eggs seems to be an open 

 question, which the writer does not presume to settle. He 

 has found in his experience, however, that a frequent occur- 

 rence of spots in eggs happened when there was an excess 

 of roosters in the pen ; and that the trouble stopped almost 

 immediately when the number of roosters was reduced. 



Another mooted question is whether hens or pullets will 

 lay as well or better with roosters in the flock, than they will 

 if roosters are not in evidence. The more natural condition 

 seems to be to have the roosters run with the flock at all 

 seasons. 



The author is of the opinion that hens will lay better, 

 and be more contented, with roosters running with them than 

 they will be without them. He dia not think it made very 

 much difference in the egg yield until one season, being short 

 of roosters, he put them all in one pen — separated from the 

 next pen only by a wire netting. In the course of about two 

 weeks the eggs from the roosterless pen began to be smaller, 

 and several eggs were gathered too small for marketing. 

 Being at a loss to account for this condition, he reversed mat- 

 ters by placing the roosters in this pen, and in a few days 

 the trouble stopped. It was not long, however, until the other 

 pen developed the same condition ; and the results were so 

 peculiarly interesting, that conditions were reversed once or 

 twice more to make the test convincing. 



To reach the market, and obtain the best price, eggs 

 should be packed neatly and attractively. All the eggs should 



