EGGS AND THEIR VALUE AS FOOD. 19 
clean, uncracked shells, free from spots or blotches in candling and 
weighing at least a pound and a half per dozen ; " second quality "— 
eggs which would rank as first except that they either are undersized 
or have begun to shrink, or eggs in which chick development is just 
beginning, but has not reached the stage when a blood ring appears. 
" Dirties " are what the name implies and are always sold at low 
prices, even when large and fresh. " Checks " are eggs with cracked 
shells ; when the cracks are large enough to let the .contents escape, 
they are called "leakers"; when the cracks are too slight for this 
they are called " blind." Both of these grades may be sold as food, 
but they do not keep properly, and they bring low prices. " Spots " 
and " rots " of various kinds are rarely sold in the shell at retail for 
table or cooking use, though it is said that large quantities find their 
way into cheap bakeshop and cheap restaurant dishes, and have at 
times been used by unscrupulous manufacturers in the preparation 
of frozen and desiccated products. Many such eggs are used also 
in tanning leather and for other technical purposes. 
The spoiling of eggs is due to two sets of causes, first, the germina- 
tion of fertile eggs and development of the chick, which is a natural 
process ; and, second, the decomposition by molds or bacteria due to 
accidental causes. Considering the eggs she keeps on hand at home, 
as well as those she buys, the housekeeper should realize that each is 
likely to occur if proper handling and care are lacking and that both 
are preventable. The surest method of preventing losses due to the 
development of the\ embryo is the production of infertile eggs. 
Mating is, of course, essential to the development of the chick, but if 
the cocks are separated from the hens as soon as the hatching season 
ends in the early summer, a large percentage of the loss from bad 
eggs may be avoided. This is as well worth attention when eggs are 
home produced as it is in professional poultry raising. 
Too much warmth favors both incubation and decomposition, espe- 
cially in the case of newly-laid eggs. Eggs should be collected 
promptly and kept in a cool place, especially during hot weather, for 
heat is just as harmful during the first few days after eggs are laid 
as it is later, and no amount of care in pantry and refrigerator or in 
packing rooms, refrigerator cars, and warehouses can give back the 
good quality to eggs that have lain for several days in a hot nest, 
been kept in a warm pantry, or been exposed to the hot sun on their 
way to town. 
The loss of quality, due to molds and bacteria in the egg is brought 
about by their growth and by the chemical compounds, formed by 
them, which give spoiled eggs their peculiar appearance, taste, 
and odor. Some of the microorganisms produce a musty taste, and 
others produce compounds of sulphur and the characteristic odor of 
rotten eggs. As has already been pointed out (p. 16), some of these 
