46 BULLETIN 224, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
CONDITIONS PREVAILING EVERY THIRD WEEK FROM MAY UNTIL SEPTEMBER. 
Visit No. 1 (first week in May). 
Organization of wash room.—The new washing equipment having just been installed, 
experiments were made to determine the quickest and most effective methods of 
cleansing the various utensils used in the breaking room. ~As a result of these 
experiments and observations working directions were prepared, which may be sum- 
marized as follows: 
1. Rinse new cans in running water and steam in the dairy sterilizer for at least 
10 minutes. If the cans show visible signs of uncleanness, such as dust, scrub before 
rinsing. 
2. Wash all utensils coming in contact with food egg in clean, lukewarm water 
containing soap powder. Use the revolving brushes for cleaning the breaking cups 
and 30-pound cans. Rinse the cups on the mechanical rinser. Wash the other 
apparatus with ordinary scrubbing brushes and rinse in running water from the 
faucet. Sterilize all the apparatus for at least 20 minutes. 
3. Keep the brushes sweet by frequent sterilization. 
4, Exercise particular care in scrubbing and rinsing the mixing chums. Run 
steam through a steam hose into each churn for five minutes. 
5. At noon wash spoons, knives, cups, and breaking trays; rinse and sterilize all 
but the last. Wipe off tables. Put new sterilized cans on them in place of those 
used to receive the broken eggs during the morning. 
6. At night cleanse all apparatus, sterilize the pieces coming in contact with food 
ee, and perform the other necessary cleaning, such as scrubbing floors, washing 
walls, etc. 
Bacteriological examinations showed that the churns, after being carefully washed 
with warm water containing soda, rinsed thoroughly, and steamed for five minutes, 
were practically sterile. The churns were so constructed that the brine could not 
be drawn from the cooling coils. On account of the expansion of the cold liquid it 
was impossible to steam the churn longer than five minutesatone time. Because 
of the importance of the cleansing previous to steaming this work was delegated to a 
picked crew of girls. 
Experiments similar to those carried on in the new wash room were undertaken in 
the workroom in which utensils from the egg-drying room were cleansed. The wash- 
ing equipment for this work was located on a drained cement floor and consisted of a 
steam jet and a sink supplied with hot and cold water. All apparatus was being 
thoroughly washed, but not rinsed; the larger pieces were being heated for a few 
seconds over the steam jet. The pieces of hose used to convey the liquid egg from 
the supply tanks to the troughs feeding the belts were scrubbed on the inside with 
a specially devised brush, rinsed and steamed. | 
Laboratory tests of condensation water from apparatus washed and steamed as © 
described showed about 200 bacteria per cubic centimeter. An examination.of sterile © 
water passed a few times through a cleansed hose also disclosed several hundred 
organisms to the cubic centimeter. 
Inasmuch as the heating of apparatus over a steam jet Was inconvenient, time con- 
suming, and did not insure sterilization, a box sterilizer was planned, so that the small 
utensils from the drying room and the milk cans used to transfer the liquid egg from 
the breaking room could be sterilized for 20 minutes. The supply tanks to the belts 
were too large to put in the sterilizer. Consequently, they were sterilized by passing © 
steam into them irom a hose. A rinsing jet was also installed in the sink. These © 
additions to the washing equipment greatly simplified the work of this department. | 
The efficient operation of the two wash rooms insured thorough cleansing of all | 
utensils coming in contact with liquid food egg. 
Breaking stock.—The breaking stock of this house consisted of small, dirty, and 
cracked eggs sorted by inspection from the current receipts of this house, its several 
branch houses, and a few neighboring packers who did not have facilities for egg 
breaking. The firm did not pay for leakers and moldy eggs occurring in “checks” 
from the latter source. * 
The breaking stock of this period consisted chiefly of cracked eggs, because a larg 
percentage of the smali and dirty eggs vere being shipped in the shell. The firm 
began candling checks on April 12, 1912, and current receipts on May 6, 1912. { 
Organization of breaking room.—The foreman of the breaking room was eminently — 
qualified for his position on account of his training and executive ability. He had 
been in charge of this breaking room from the time of its establishment, and previous — 
to that time he had supervised a candling room. Consequently, he was familiar with ~ 
the various classes of eggs occurring throughout the season. ; 
{ 
