The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-03-11
THE EGG PROBLEM AND THE
FARMER.
He Should Manage His Fowls Syste-
matically, Like the Regular
Poultryman.
Market Designations for various Grades Of
Eggs.

Eggs.
Eggs that are not fresh are unfit
for food says the Philadelphia Re.
eord. 1t is gratifying to note tha,
the Pure Food Commission is TAX
ing the matter in hand. The sign
Fresh Country Eggs" is SO often
displayed in the village, town and
city grocery stores, and naturally,
it appeals to the unsuspecting buy
er. Ordinarily that would be a
guarantee of freshness, but unfor-
tunately, it is not always so. 1t is
not implied by this that the farmer
is dishonest, or that the grocery
man is practicing fraud but rather
that the average farmer is very
careless in the matter of the eggs
he gathers about the farm. Hens
that are allowed their liberty roam
all over the farm and often sneak
away to some secluded spot to de-
posit their eggs.
BEWARE OF THE HIDDEN NEST
They like to be private when
laying time comes, and every now
and then the farmer happens across
these nests and generally finds them
well filled. Should a dozen eggs
be found in one of the nests it is
not probable that twelve hens laid
those eggs that day. 1t is more
likely, however, that it is the nest
of an individual hen which has TAX
Ell "a days to yield that dozen.
Every time the hen laid a new egg
she impaired heat to those already
laid, and the germ of life started.
The farmer gathers up the lot, and
they are placed in the basket ready
to be taken to town on the next
convenient trip. Is it a wonder
that the consumer finds spoiled
eggs? Can the public be blamed
for becoming shy of Fresh Coun-
try Eggs"
Again, during times when the
hens are not doing much laying
the farmers wife is very apt to
save up the eggs laid until she
has accumulated sufficient numbers
to make it an object to take them
to the store. This gives stale eggs, |
if not spoiled ones, in the lot.
Furthermore, where fowls are
given their liberty they find much
of their food in scratching over the
manure piles in the barnyard and |
get their drink from pools of stag
naut water. Are such conditions
conducive to good favor and purity
in eggs?
IMPROVED METHODS MUST BE A
DOPTED.
The farmer must keep his poul-
try under the same conditions the
poultryman does hts, if he wishes
to profit by the work and build up
a reputation for reliable goods. In
stead of the fowls having unlimited
range, they should be confined to
generous sized runs-Ioo feet in
length and as broad as the width
of the house-and these pens must
not be overcrowded. The farmer
should build houses that will en-
able him to readily ventilate (like,
for instance, the scratching shed |
house) and the manure should be
gathered at least once week. No
thing but the. purest grains and
meat scraps and green stuff should
be fed. The eggs should be gath
cred one or two times day, ac-
cording to the condition of the
weather. And no eggs should be
held longer than one week the
enterprising poultryman ships twice
a week.
An egg should never be sent to
market unless its condition and age
are known to the shipper and can
be guaranteed. Under no circum-
stances should eggs found in the
hidden nest" be allowed to be
palmed off on the innocent buyer.
In market language, fancy"
eggs are guaranteed fresh-not ov-
er three days old, prime" eggs
are these where the age is not
known, they being from one to
three weeks of age, in cool wealth.
er. Fresh case" eggs are class
out OF which it is possible at times
to secure six good ones, three fair
ones, and three that are demora-
lized, out of dozen.
Brick Roads Wanted.