The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-12-15
A FORTUNE IN EGGS.
Millions for the Man Who Finds a Way
to Preserve Them.

ist had succeeded in making artificial
g e so closely initiating the genuine
that a jury Of experts was unable to
distinguish one from the other. The
yolks and whites were made OF an al
bumen obtained from plants, saffron
and carrots, mixed in proper proper
tions, and several other secret ingredl-
ents. The shell was manufactured Of
lime and oyster shells. The reason
why the alleged discovery did not rev
olutiopize a great industry and force
several millions hens out of business
was never given, but the story served
to call attention to the fact that several
hundred scientists had fondly enter
tanned hopes Of making artificial eggs
some day, and many of them had de-
voted the best part of a lifetime to ex-
periments along this line.
The idea of spending so much time
and thought upon such a small thing
appears at first sight a little absurd,
but it is more than probable that the
inventors were working for the pecu
mary rewards they knew would fall to
their lot if they could make artificial
eggs cheaper than the hens could lay
them. But one is tempted to ask: Why
SO much study over making artificial
eggs, when there is a fortune for the
man who can invent a method Of pre-
serving those produced by the ordinary
process of nature? There are a good
many million eggs consumed in this
country every winter, and they are
cold at an average price Of % TO 80 cts.
per dozen. These same eggs can be
purchased in the middle of summer for
IL and Is cents per dozen. Imagine
the profits of a dealer who should pur-
chase two Oh three hundred thousand
dozens at IL cents a dozen, and by using
a new p~reservative sell them in the
middle of winter at 80 cents a dozen!
But the discovery of a sure egg pre-
servative, one that will keep the eggs
in their pristine freshness for six
months, has engaged as much atten
ton as egg making, and we have many
methods advocated by scientists which
are promised to accomplished the de-
sired results. The fact is eggs have
been preserved for years for a certain
time, but in the keeping they lose some
of their delicious freshness which
makes the chief charm of a breakfast.
1t is a fact probably not generally IN
derstocd that bakers and confectioners
depend almost entirely upon lined and
preserved eggs for their winter supply,
and if it were not fer this their goods
would be 80 per cent. higher. The g
eggs are good, but very strong when
broken, and even the appetite of a
tramp would be somewhat allayed by
their odor. Nevertheless, they are not
bad, and when mixed with the other
ingredients which go to make pies,
cakes and pas5eries they seem to lose
their distinctive flavor and odor.
There are several systems of presarv-
ing eggs, anyone of which will ans wer
for certain purposes. These preServa
tives will keep the eggs in a fairly
good condition for two or three months,
but nature places a limit there, after
which they begin to decay. The eggs
will keep longer than meat OF game
simply because they are surrounded by
a shell that is we'll nigh air tight. Lis
tn 8 prison wall which makes egg meat
the best to keep for any heightened
period. But the shell is more or less
porous. and it begins TO absorb what
ever it comes in contact with, and
though the process is Glow, it is very
sure. The first essential thing to pre-
serving eggs has consequently always
been to make the shelI as impervious
| TO air and water as possible. Oil, lard,
6mne and similar substances were
smeared over the eggs when fresh, and
these helped to prolong their life. Later
a man invented a patent paint, which
was supposed for a time TO be the best
p~reservative. When painted over the
air tight shell, and as no air could get
into the meat to decompose it, the con
tents must KEEP for an indefinite period,
But the paint inventor had not studied
embryonic life as closely as he had his
chemicals, or he would have known
that nature had already planted the
seeds Of destruction inside CT the she'll
Before his paint was ever applied there
was a small quantity, but jast enough
to cause the mix caief. Ana so the eggs
decomposed even under this treatment
Now an electrician has come to the
front with a system that promises some