Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-01-11
has been superseded, writes a sedalla

has been superseded, writes a Sedalia
correspondent of a st. Louis paper
He would never come to the end of the
33,935,O0O dozens which the Missouri
farmers wives now bring to town in
twelve months. The average price paid
to producers for eggs is about 10 cents
q dozen. That was the rate in what
are known as the months of greatest
egg production-March, April and to
the 10th of May. After that there was
brief period when prices ran as low
as 6 cents. 1t was the time of the
highest percentage of bad eggs. In
June and July the life of an egg han
dler is not happy one. 1t is the sea-
son of nest hiding. Hens will be
secretive. June and July are months
in which the egg-buyer would, if he
could, gladly take a vacation and go
to Alaska, where the only egg known
is the one frozen solid. In August the
harvest of bad eggs is over. The quail
ity is again restored to normal. Prices
are now IL and IL cents dozen to
farmers wives. Aside from this brief
depreciation, prices of eggs haven't
varied cents dozen the past season,
which speaks exceedingly we'll 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candle has gone out of date.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. 1t is in case
with two bright eyes. The egg-testers
They raise two eggs at time from
the cases in which they come from the
buyers, and hold them for 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
lining two eggs at 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
If an egg is sound and whole it may
be Western extra" small and
dirty or a second" But there may
be crack in the shell. The wear Of
| a great many eggs. The moment the
| tester detects 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 go into the other tub
! The economies of the business have
| not yet developed use for 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 17114 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 cents to IL cents dozen. Then
come the seconds" which betray signs
of age. The seconds is an article OF
commerce at from to 9 cents dozen.
1t is the egg that is only little off,
and passes very we'll 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 Gambling" 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.
French Goa cheers in France.
We are indebted to Messrs. Nc
/ nl.s