The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-04-10


lie would never come IN ~ l' paper.
So'SSo'oOO dozens which the Nf,e - ele
farmers wives now bring to tow" -
.welVe months. The average nrice :, naia
70 producers for eggs is about N - -
dozen. That was the rate ~ o l
are known as the months NJ s-ro" "'-''s
ess production-March, April ana -
the 10th Of May. After that tbera NJ -
orief period when prices ran as low
do . cents. 1t was the time 80 ~
nishest percentage of bad eqos ~
June and July the life OF an 600 har
ulef Is not happy one. 1t is the sea-
son OF nest hiding. Hens will bo
secfetive. June and July are montbs
III winch the egg-buyer would 10 ho
could gladly take a vacation and 90
70 Alaska, where the only egg knon,n
Is the one frozen solid. In August tha
harvest Of bad eggs is over. The ouaI-
ity Is again restored to normal prices
are now IL and IL cents a dozen n
farmers wives. Aside from this briar
depreciation, prices of eggs haven't
varied 2 cents dozen the past season
winch speaks exceedingly well for the
new methods. The surplus of eggs of
last April went into cold storage to
await the demand next winter.
Gambling" is still the name Of the
process OF testing eggs, although the
candle has gone out Of date. In the
darkroom Of the poultry and egg house
hangs an electric light. It is in a case
with TWO bright eyes. The egg-testers
sit on either side of the electric light.
Ihey raise two eggs at a time from
the cases in which they come from the
buyers, and hold them for a moment
between the electric eyes and the hui
man vision. The decision is instant.
The movement which follows is SO
rapid that it is hard to follow. Exam
lning two eggs at a time, the tester
must conclude at once in which of five
directions each egg shall go. There are
three grades Of merchantable eggs.
But there are also two tubs to receive
eggs of fourth and fifth classification.
II an egg is sound and whole it may
be a Western extra" small and
dirty" or a second" But there may
be a crack in the shell. The wear Of
transportation means the cracking of
a great many eggs. The moment the
tester detects a crack his hand goes
toward one Of the tubs. With deft
turn of the wrist he completes the
fracture, empties the contents Of the
shell into the tub, and losses the shell
to the second tub. Then there are the
bad eggs. They 90 into the other tub
as quick as the tester can drop them.
The economies of the business have
not yet developed use for a spoiled egg.
Shells OF the cracked eggs and bad
eggs are hauled away and thrown on
the ground. They have some fertiliz-
ing value, but not enough to pay for
the carriage. The egghouse pays for
the removal and disposition Of the bad
eggs.
Extras" hardly need explanation.
They are the large, clean and sound
eggs. When it is stated that they are
worth 171a cents a dozen, their superior
character is indicated. The small
and dirty" speaks for itself. But there
is this to be said, the small and dirty"
must be perfectly sound. The size and
the dirt on the shell make it worth
only 9 cents to IL cents a dozen. Then
come the Seconds" which betray signs
Of age. The Seconds" is an article OF
commerce at from to cents a dozen.
1t is the egg that is only a little on,
and passes very well where tastes are
not too critical. The extras go into
new cases with perfect packing. In
them the dealer finds his profit
In the Sedalia egghouse there Is a
man who has been "candling" twelve
years. He confesses frankly that he is
all the time learning something new
about eggs as he turns the electric ray
on them, and he admits that he has
gathered some additional experience in
the detection of rotten eggs the present
season. This man says that an aver
age two dozen Of eggs as they come TO
the central depot from buyers at the
Missouri railroad stations will classify
into one cracked, two rotten, six Sec
onds, two small and dirty and thirteen
extras.