, 1877-09-21
Egg Raising.

The egg traffic of this country has
risen to an importance which few COM
prehend. The aggregate transactions in
New York city alone must amount fully
to $S,000,000 per annum, and in the
United States to $1S000,000. A single
firm in that line of business East handled
81, 100000 worth of eggs during the year.
In Cincinnati, too, the traffic must be
proportionally large. In truth, the great
gallinaceous tribe of our country barn
yards contributes in no small degree to
human subsistence, eggs being rich in
nutritive properties, equal to one-half
their entire weight. Goose, duck, hen,
pullet and partridge eggs are the princi-
pal kinds produced in America, We
have nothing, however, like we are told
used to be found in Madagascar, or have
been found there, the gigantic woa egg,
measuring thirteen and half inches In
extreme length, and holding eight and
half quarts. One of these birds, with a
single effort, might supply a modern
boarding house with omelets for day.
The perishable nature of eggs has nat
urally detracted from their value as Il
standard article of diet. The peculiar
excellence of eggs depends upon their
freshness. But lately the process of
crystalizing has been resorted to, and by
this process the natural egg is converted
into yitreOus substance of delicate
amber tint, in which form it is reduced
seven-eighths in bulk compared with bar
relied eggs, and retains its properties for
years unimpaired in any climate. This
is indeed an achievement of science and
mechanical ingenuity, and has most
important bearing on the question of
cheaper food, by preventing waste,
equalizing prices throughout the year
and regulating consumption. In this
form eggs may be transported without
injury, either to the equator or to the
poles, and at any time can be restored to
their original condition simply by add
ing the water which has been artifcially
taken away. The chief egg desiccating
companies are in st. Louis and New
York. No salts or extraneous matters
are introduced in the process of crystal
izing, the product being simply a con-
solidated mixture of the yolk and al
bumen. Immense quantities of eggs are
preserved in the spring of the year by.
lining. Thus treated they are good for
every purpose except boiling. 1t is a
common trick for some dealers to palm
off eggs SO treated as fresh, so that i'm
position is easily practised. In the des.
located process, however, the difference
becomes apparent, as from four to five
more lined eggs are required to make
pound of eggs crystallized than when
fresh are used, and eggs in the least
tainted will not crystalline at all.
Some of the most experienced egg
dealers declare that there is no profit in
raising poultry to compare with produc-
ing eggs. A single hen will lay from
twelve to fifteen dozen marketable eggs
per aunum, selling at an averge of thir-
teen cents per dozen, and the birds thus
occupied can be housed and fed for less
than fifty cents for the whole period. ID
the East the price per dozen is much
higher. Here we buy them by the dozen
Step into an eastern produce or grocery
establishment, and they sell so many for
a quarter of dollar. There is no reason
why the crystallizing process should not
become quite general, and egg produc.
tion stimulated as never before, and the
food supply receive large accessions
from this source. The already great and
increasing consumption of eggs in Eng.
land and France shows growing appre-
citation of this form Of food compared
with any other. 1t is thought the annual
sales in the United States alone must sg-
gregate nearly twenty million dollars.
In Lima, Peru, eggs sell at one dollar
per dozen, equal to four dollars per
pound crystallized 1t is thought this
new process for preserving for utiliza'
ton the industry of our hens and pullets
may be very acceptable as well as bene-
fetal in a business and domestic point of
view.-Oincinnat Commercial.
MoJrND RELICS IN ILLINOIS. a late