The Savannah morning news., 1900-09-06
now rIsu EGGS ARE MEASURED.
scale Devised at 4. =. Fish Com
mission Tells to Nicety.


mission Tells to Nicety.
From the Washington Star.
A hundred times a day on an average
the question g. asked by visitors at the
building OF the United States Fish Com
mission. How in tho world Is It possible
to ,en with any degree OF certainty how
macy eggs are placed In any given ship
mont or are contained In the Jars where
they are usually kept? And the ques-
tioner rs much surprised when he Is m
formed that by means Of a scale. devised
By one Of the attaches Of the commission,
IL Is possible 20 tel 20 a nicely just what
H. desired TO be- known on the subject
whether it be concerning the eggs 81 the
Spanish mackcrcl which are - small
that "A standard United states quart meas-
uro OF 5775 cubic inches viii contain
/. a7.72S. or OF land-hocked salmon. $500
eggs OF which viii MI a similar meas
ure
The measuring scale is a light square
made % wood. not 40 liable 20 break the
iar AZ metal The long lex Of the square
IL nfteen Inches long. half an inth wide
ana quarter Of an inch thick The
short lex h. Of che same breadth snd
thickness and half the length. The Ions
leg h. graduated to read from the bottom
upward THE nrst grade r. a. a hight cor
responding TO the level attained In the
jar 10y a measured half pint Of water. the
succeeding grades are determined by the
Introduction Of additional half pints or
water. An measurements are made with
a feed tube in place. the water shut on
ana the eggs allowed to thoroughly settle
The short les OF the square Is placed
over the top Of the Jar. the long lex hang
Ing down. and the scale read from the
point where the TOP layer OF eggs shows
tn the jar II IL possible 90 obtain hy
measurement an almost correct eattma =
Of the number Of nsh produced by a Jar
OF semi -buoyant eggs. just before the
time OF Matching an dead eggs are care
fully drawn on II Is an ascertained fact
that scarcely any semi-huoyant eggs die
under proper conditions after Matching out
has commenced.
In connection with the scale there Is
used jar which presents an easy, quick
aEd safe means Of ascertaining the
knowledge sought. The measurements in
al cases ere made while the eggs arr
In the iar. ana with the cap screwed
down. How 20 ascertain the number Of
eggs lost or hatched or are on hand r.
n question constantly arising II would be
cumbersome and tedious were % compul-
sorry TO open the jar ana IN ASSURE the
formation was needed
The question OF measuring the eggs Il
a most important one 10 the hfh cnltur-
ist and yet 20 Judge from the various
ways ~ measuring eggs. II q one that
has rec ived little atts ntlon. Every branch
of trade has standard measure, but hsh
culture has remain without STANDARD
or rational unit each workman estab-
fishing for himself system ~ deterEnin-
r
20 year as the exigenc'es 81 the season
demanded There has not only been
want Of harmony IN che various so-called
measures used. but the measures them
selves have lacked the elements OF Telia-
blliiy. being In many cases the most ar
bitrary and irrational The records OF
results Of work IN the earlier days 81
fish culture were but wild guessing. and.
SAD 20 say. many records are yet made
ia the same manner.
New aud Better Way.
The practice OF arriving at the number
Of any given lot OF eggs by estimating
each parent fsh 20 contain an unvarylnx
quantity of eggs snd multiplying this
quan ity by the number OF females
spawned has justly gene out OF existence
How various and how far wide o. the
marx such estimates were are shown by
the following: one hsh culturist esti-
mates a shad 20 contain from n.oM 70
p O00 eggs. smother puts the number a.
~ OO Or w. G. Yarrow estimates a shad
10 ooniA q from 10000 10 5000 eggs, and
an emhryologlst OF the United states
nsh commission says female of the
same species may have IN her roea at
one time 900 ova IN process 81 matur-
a'icn
These statements are made to show the
Ia "A Of n
ton. There IL no desire 20 attach odium
10 any one, but the wish l. earnest 20
call the attention of all interested to the
necessity 81 some recognized standard OF
measurement 10 be known and used By
ali hsh cuiturists Not infrequcntly has
IL happened that q consignment Of eggs.
when estimated by the recipient. has fal-
len short OF the involced number. and
sometimes these occurrences have led 10
accusations OF fraud. White hsh ami
rhad eggs. and possibly others, after sew
eral hours in the packing crates. undergo
n shrinkaEe amounting 20 nearly Y per
cent of their bulk. After being several
hours in the Jars the eggs reahHorb the
water and resume their nomal size. But
the main reason for the discrepancy IN
ths. measurements NJ the receiving and
shipping points h 20 be- found In the wan,
OF harmony IN the methods OF measuring.
calculations DifHcuit,
In many hatcheries, especially those
Matching heavy eggs, the system OF deter
uination Il based on the diameter OF the
egg II will he found very dinicult 90
establish BY calculation based on the d.
ameter Of the eEg. II will b. found very
dificult to establish by calculation based
on the diameter a standard for measuring
eggs on trays. and the difiiculty amounts
10 almost imposslbllity when it Is attempt
cd In like manner 10 determine the num-
Der Of eggs In a given bulk.
A svs,em which Mr.. W. r. Page devils
al Of measuring nrh eggs ana Try IL APP
piicable 20 al classes Of semi-huoyant
ana heavy eggs. and IT, he believes. based
upon rational principles. The basis OF this
systsm u the number Of eggs IN a stand-
ara auart OF the United states 57.70 cuho
-. : -. .r.sarv,4tvt.I hy the actual count OF