A. J.
MACDONALD AND T.S.KRISHNAN 311
TABLE V
Fluctuations in air-cell size observed during storage
Winter test
Period of storage
Initial quality . .
2 weeks . . .
4
„
.
.
.
6 „
. . . .
8 „
. . .
10 „
. . .
12 „
. . .
14 „ . . .
16 „
. . .
18 „
. . .
20 . . .
Depth of air-cell in eggs (mm.)
Controls
4.0
6.6
8.4
9.4
11.4
11.6
13.5
15.3
19.5
22.8
25.6
Preserved
in lime
and salt
4.0
3.2
2.5
3.3
3.2
2.7
3.3
..
..
. .
. .
Preserved
in lime
water
4.0
3.9
3.7
3.8
3.8
2.7
2.4
..
..
..
..
Summer test
Period of storage
Initial quality .
1 week . . .
2 weeks . . .
3 „ . . .
4 „ . . .
5 „ . . .
6
„
.
.
.
7 „
. . .
8 „
. . .
9 „
. . .
10 „
. . .
11 „
. . .
Depth of air-cell in eggs (mm.)
Controls
3.7
8.1
11.0
12.2
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
Preserved
in water
glass
3.7
3.1
3.5
3.6
2.9
3.1
3.5
3.4
3.8
3.6
3.6
4.5
Preserved
in lime
water
3.7
3.1
3.1
3.4
3.3
3.0
3.2
..
..
..
..
..
The figures show that in the control eggs the
air.cell depth increased during the winter test from
an initial 4 mm. to 25.6 mm. at 20 weeks. In
the summer trial the air-cell depth increased
from an initial 3.7 mm. to 12.2 mm. at three
weeks. In the summer test, the depth of the
air-cell at two weeks (11 mm.) was practically
as great as the depth of the air-cell (11.4 mm.)
of the winter eggs at eight weeks. It will
be seen from Table I that the temperature and
relative humidity during the first 10 weeks
of the winter experiment averaged about 63ºF.
and 72 per cent respectively, whereas in the
first fortnight of the summer test the corre-
sponding figures were 97ºF. and 25 per cent
respectively. It is, therefore, but natural that
much more rapid shrinkage should ensue under
the latter conditions. Since the preserved eggs
were kept immersed in the liquids throughout
both tests, no evaporation from the eggs was
possible and consequently, there was no change
in the air-cell size.
It was observed that the air-cells in the eggs in
lime and salt and lime water were in a collapsed
condition towards the end of both experi-
ments. After the 14th week of the winter
trial and the 7th week of the summer test, all
eggs stored in the above two preservatives develop-
ed this condition, but no such change occurred in
the water glass group. The other factors of in-
terior quality did not seem to be visibly influenced
by this air-cell collapse and no reason for this
phenomenon can at present be given.
DISCUSSION
The record of temperature and humidity fluctu-
ations in the storage room and the progressive
changes in the different factors of interior egg
quality during the winter and summer tests
have been presented in graphic form for easy
reference in Figs. 1 and 2 respectively. From
Fig. 1 it will be seen that during the first half
of the winter test, i. e. from till about the end of
February, the average temperatures, recorded every
fortnight, were fairly low and that thereafter,
they rose gradually to 94ºF. in the last fortnight.
In the summer trial, the average was relatively
high throughout (97ºF.). The behaviour of
the eggs stored during the two experiments
shows the influence of temperature on egg quality.
While fertile and infertile eggs stored under
ordinary room conditions in the winter test re-
mained sufficiently sound to enable the differ-
ent quality factors to be measured for periods
ranging from 6 to 14 weeks, during the summer
trial all fertile eggs were spoilt by embryo develop-
ment before the end of the first week, and the
infertiles were unfit for quality determinations
at three weeks. The detrimental effect of high
temperature on eggs can also be seen
from the initial quality of the eggs used in the
two experiments. The room temperatures at