22 BTLLZTIX 51, r. 5. DEPAETME^s'T OF AGEICTLTrP.Z. 
EGGS HAVrS'G CRACKED SHELLS. 
Mechanical injury to eggs, due to rough handling, is another great 
money loss to the egg industry and a food loss to the consumers. 
Many eggs are completely wrecked and are termed " mashed " eggs 
by the industry. In this case they are not only lost but they soil a 
rmmher of eggs otherwise good. Where the shell is so broken that 
the contents are escaping the egg is termed a " leaker."* In addition 
to leakers the industry has to contend with enormotis nimibers of 
*• checks "" — that is. eggs which have cracked shells but intact mem- 
branes. 
Leakers are thrown out at eyery stage of handling, from the coim- 
try merchant or egg peddler to the city retailer, and are generally a 
total loss. Checks are disposed of if possible and as near the gather- 
ing point as may be. because they are weakened mechanically and are 
free food for any bacterium or mold that may chance to fall into the 
crack. Hence they are sure, in commerce, to rot quickly. The 
cracked eggs coming to the breaker in the producing section are re- 
ceived by him much sooner after the damage is done than by the 
breaker in the consuming center, and for that reason they are usually 
in better bacterial condition. Table 8 gives the results of the exami- 
nation of 56 of these cracked eggs, both blind and visible checks. 
Some of these eggs were fresh and above reproach except for the 
damaged shell; others had dirty as well as cracked shells, hatch 
spots, weak yolks, thin whites, etc. 
