Evening star., 1901-04-17
USE OF EGGS AS FOOD
Experiments Made by the Depart
ment Of Agriculture.
INTERESTING INFORMATION SUPPLIED
Statistics Respecting Common
Article of Commerce.
VARIETY GIVEN TO DIET

VARIETY GIVEN To DIET
Exhaustive experiments have been made,
under the superintendence of Mr.. A. c.
True, director of the bureau of expert
ments, and as authorized by Secretary W.T.
son of the Department Of Agriculture, re-
garding the value of eggs and their use
as food The report made of these expert
ments states that perhaps no article of
diet Of animal origin Is more commonly
eaten in all countries or served in greater
variety OF ways than are eggs. Hens eggs
are most common, although the eggs of
ducks, geese and guinea fowls are used to
greater or less extent. More rarely tur-
keys eggs are eaten, but they are gen.
orally Of greater value for Matching"
The eggs Of some Wild birds. Mr.. True
ascertained. are esteemed delicacy.
Plover eggs are priced in England and
Germany, while in this country the eggs
of sea birds have long been gathered for
food. On the eastern shore of Virginia
eggs Ct the laughing gull are frequently
eaten, and those of gull, terms and herons
were few years ago gathered in great
quantities along the coast of Texas. Thou
sands of eggs of gulls and INJURIES have
been gathered annually on the Farallone
Islands, off the coast of California. Eggs
besides those of birds are sometimes eaten.
Turtle eggs are highly priced in most
countries where they are abundant. They
were once more commonly eaten in Amer
lea than they are now, possibly owing to
the more abundant supply in former times.
The eggs Of the terrapin are usually served
with the flesh in some of the ways of pre-
pairing 1t for the table. Fish eggs, es-
pecially those of the sturgeon, are eaten
in large quantities, preserved with salt,
under the name of caviar. Shad roe is
ole,o P,r, Nt1 nf 4t,n nf lie
eggs as food. Mention may be also made
Of the use Of the eggs of alligators, lizards,
Serpents and of some insects, by races VINO
lack the prejudices Of western nations.
However, in general the term eggs, when
used In connection with food topics, re-
fers to the eggs of birds, usually domestic
poultry.
Structural Formation.
The appearance of an egg-the shell with
its lining of membrane. inclosing the white
and yolk-is too familiar to need any cis-
cussion. The physiological structure of the
egg is perhaps less familiar. A fertile egg
contains an embryo and is at the same time
a store house of material for the develop
ment and growth of the young Individual
from the embryo, until it has reached
such a stage that life is possible outside
the narrow limits of the shell. The embryo
Is situated quite close to the yolk, which
furnishes the nutritive material for its
early development, the white being used
later.
For convenience birds may be divided into
two grouDs-those in which the young are
hatched full f1edged and ready, in great
measure to care for themselves and those
in which the young are Matched :;nfiedged
and entirely dependent upon the parents.
Domestic poultry are familiar examples
of the first group; robins and sparrowS of
the second. The eggs Of the two classes
differ materially in composition. 1t seems
evident that more nutritive material is
needed proportionally in the first case than
in the second, since the growth is con-
ttnued in the shell until the bird reaches a
more advanced stage of development. The
quite marked differences in composition Of
the two sorts of eggs have been shown by
chemical studies
Since in all cases the egg is designed to
furnish the sole source of material for
growth and development of the young in
dividual for considerable time. it is evil
dent that it nut contain all the elements
required-that is, that it must be perfect
food for the young.
Milk is another familiar example of ami
NAL food containing all the elements Of
complete food for the young and growing
individual. Milk and eggs are frequently
spoken of perfect foods on this account.
The designation is. however, misleading, for
although it is true that they contain all
the required elements for me growth ard
maintenance of the young bird or theyoung
mammal as the case may be, the clements
are not in the right proportion for the sole
Industry of Importance.
The egg industry Is of considerable COM
mercial Importance. The total number of
eggs produced in the United States in 1890
was estimated to be $4,000 900 dozen. and
these figures are quite often said to be too
low.
The United States formerly imported
large number of eggs and exported very
few. The ratio has changed within the
last ten years and now the exports largely
exceed the imports. In 1890 the total num-
ber exported was in round numbers 3S1 900
dozen, worth $4,000; in 1899. 3,694, 900
dozen, worth s6i1 900. In 1890 this country
imported 130S0000 dozen, which were
valued at s2,oO0O00. and in 1899 only 225,-
600 dozen, valued at se1 600.
Taking into account the five years up to
and including 1898. 81 per cent Of the ex-
to Canada and II per cent to Great Brit
ain During the same period 90 per cent
of the eggs imported came from Canada.
per cent from China and the remainder
from various other countries.
Some statisticx.
These statistics of the egg trade are of
interest since they show the great growth
Of the poultry industry, and indicate what
it may become in the future. Some Of the
developments may be fairly attributed to
the work of the government and the agri-
cultural experiment StatlOnS. + OF many
years a considerable number of the sta
tions. especially those in Alabama, Cal
ifornia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana.
Maine. Massachusetts, Michigan, New
York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ok
lahoma, Oregon. Rhode Island, South Car
olina, Utah and West Virginia, have been
experimenting upon methods of feeding
and caring for poultry, the comparative
value Of different breeds the possibility of
increasing egg production by proper feed
ing. and the selection of laying stock and
similar problems. The Department of Ag-
riculture has done much to encourage the
poultry industry by collecting and distrib-
tting information and in other ways.
Poultry raising is often carried on in
conjunction with general farming, and
may be profitably developed along such
lines. When it is followed as al fndepen-