Middletown transcript., 1896-04-11

1Hi lnlll'r FILL
INSPECTING EGGS BY CANDLELIGHT.
candescant lamp for the light brought
about a change of name, and the MEM
bers Of the craft, Of whom there are
about 200 in Chicago, are known as
"egg inspectors.
A good brisk inspector, handling a
fair run Of eggs, can candle" 30 cases
Of eggs day. As each case holds 30
dozens the days run will average
10, 800 eggs. The work is carried on in
a dark room, in which the only lights
are those used for inspecting the eggs
The condition of an egg is found by
holding it to the light, and the degree
Of translucency, color, spots and shape
of the dark places determine the grade
and character Of the egg.
In Chicago and all large centers which
have the electric light the incandescent
lamp is used. But the candle by no
means is laid on the shelf Many in
spectors claim that the incandescent
light hurts their eyes, and that candle
light is best after all, even though its
modest flame fickers and sputters when
the nimble fingers Of the candler stir
the air about it.
The candle usually is held upright be-
tween three shingle nails stuck in the
end of short board, and the inspector
holds the eggs close to and slightly above
the flame, so that he looks down upon it.
Any man can candle eggs if he
"knows eggs" for the handicraft con-
sists simply in holding the egg to the
light, looking through it and classifying
it according to its appearance. But-and
the "but" is large one-the man who
inspects eggs must be able to distinguish
at one glance the particular class to
which the egg belongs, and egg inspect
ors recognize 30 grades.
A clever man with keen eye, nice
sense Of discrimination, an adhesive
memory and well developed knack Of
handling things may become fair egg
inspector in three years, but five years
probably will pass before he is expert
enough to go on the list Of adopts.
The handling of the eggs is an i'm
portant factor in the craft. Any man
can pick up single egg, hold it to the
light, turn it around two or three times
and lay the egg back in the crate again,
but it takes an expert to pick up four
eggs in one hand, three in another and
by the mere working of the fingers roll
an egg between the thumb and two fin
gers and then roll it out of the way to
put another one in its place.
Generally two eggs are picked up
with each hand at time, so that they
are inspected in groups of four, and the
with which the work is carried
on is SO great that from 10, 900 to $4,000
eggs day are inspected.
But the inspector does more than can
die his wares, for he handles his own
cases, lifts them to the bench, takes
them down again, nails on covers, trans
fers eggs from one case to another and
tells of marvellous curiosities in the egg
line which have passed under his fin
gers. He mentions three yolk eggs; dou-
BILE eggs in which a perfectly formed
egg, she'll and all, is found inside Of an
egg; eggs with all of the colors Of the
rainbow in their shells; eggs with
words and dates formed in the shell,
and eggs with double and triple shells.
A strictly fresh" egg is one without
flaws of any kind. 1t may be ten days
or two weeks old, but it is not more
aged. This is called "selected" egg
and commands the highest price.
When eggs begin to grow stale, the
white shrinks, and this is shown to the
inspector by well defined line in the
large end of the egg. If shrunk too
much for the first class, the egg goes in
to the seconds, which also include
fresh eggs that are checked" or crack
ed.
A checked egg is cracked egg, but |
the crack is not noticed until it is held |
up to the light or is ratified or clicked"
in the hand with another egg. A solid |
eggshell gives clear sound if licked
against another egg, but cracked or
checked egg gives out a dead, wooden |
sound.
After the seconds come "spots" and
leaks. " "Spots" are eggs in which
the yolk clings TO the shell, and leaks
are broken eggs. These are the general
grades, but each of them is subdivided
into grades recognized by the trade.
The best eggs are selected to be placed
IN cold storage warehouses, from which
hey will be taken and sold when fresh
eggs are scarce. They are carefully in
spected before they are sent to the ice
house or cooler, and most of the inspect
DIS are on this work in April and May
md sometimes the early part of June.
During this period the hen is working
overtime and sending fresh eggs to mar
zet. Then she takes it easy for time.
Eggs are kept in cold storage for sew
IN, eight or more months. For the first
hree months they retain their original
1avor and then they begin to deterio-
ate. and the longer they are kept the
;taler they become.
When withdrawn, they are inspected
IS though they were fresh eggs and di-
7ided into similar grades. Picked eggs
ire those kept in some lime or alkai So
ution, and salted eggs are preserved by
,eing packed in salt.
Of course. none Of these preserved
,ggs is as good as the fresh article, but
+ they pass the Gambler they are good
'nough to eat.
The inspector can detect preserved
'ggs at once and also can name the "ice-
louse," tpickled" or "salted'' egg
when it comes up. The icehouse egg is
hrunk, its yolk is dark and it has dull .
ing when licked. The shell of picked
gg is mottled and gives metallic