The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-04-15
WHAT IS A FRESH EGGq

from Inc lrOuisy1lle Courier Journal
What. It becomes pertinent to inquire,
is fresh egg? The question is in order
not merely because there is some smack
or age about many so-called fresh eggs,
and some relish OF the sadness Of time"
but because the cold-storage men seem
to be hurt by the allegations os thought
less consumers.
Mr. Webster, certainly an unbiased
writer and a man OF probity, defines the
word fresh" in this way:
]. Possessed Of original life and rieor; new and
strong; unimpaired; sound not faded.
2 Lately produced. gathered or urapared for
market new, as fresh vegetables. meat. eggs snd
the Ike; recently made obtained occurring again
repeated as a fresh supply Of goods fresh tea
raisins. &c; lately come or made public as fresh
news; lately taken from well spring. So fresh
water
J. IN raw. green, or untried state.
L. Renewed in vigor-Or readiness for action.
>. Not salt-fresh meat in distinction from that
which is picked
a gentleman interested in the business
Of buying up eggs in the sDring and put
ting them in cold storage 10 be sold the
next winter says that before cold stor-
age popped into popularity eggs became
drug on the market I'm spriug-which
Is another way OF saying there were fresh
eggs TO be had at low priees-but that
nowadays the blessing Of cold storage
brings them into the market when the
supply is short. What supply? Certainly
not that Of the cold-storage magnates.
else there would not be plenty Of eggs
In the markets in winter But, passing
over the question, and admitting. for
the sake OF argument, that the cold stor-
age business Is not the only beneficiary Of
a system that stores eggs when they are
new laid and sells them when they have
emerged from the tomb where the hand
Of death has lain heavily upon them for
the better part Of year. what is a fresh
egg?
For purposes CT commerce all eggs not
sufficiently advanced toward decomposi-
ton to proclaim themselves 1T only 10
be used as an admonition 10 an unpopu-
lar public speaker. are fresh" The pub
lie has been, perhaps, too hasty in con-
demning the pUrveyor for using the ad-
Ject!vc with what has been held 70 be an
absolute disregard for truth
Possibly fresh" when applied to hen
fruit. does not mean new laid. possessed
Of original life and vigor, unimpaired, OF
not faded. The term may mean merely
not unsound; lately prepared for market;
occurring again-after a period Of retire
ment following their original occurrence
as objects just brought into the world by
the heu-repeated; fresh as a supply of
tea from Ceylon. or raisins from France.
newly made public after having been hid
den out till the price per dozen rose 10
the proper figure. Lately taken from
cold storage might have been included
with lately taken from a well or spring"
If Mr. Webster had written in the TWEEN
tieth century, and Of its blessings.
The other day somebody was interfered
with for having upon the premises watts
Of eggs that had been taken from their
shells and We're 20 be reprocessed in some
way and sold 70 bakers to be used in
cakes They were 20 be renewed in
vigor." and put "in readiness for &C
ticn," and We're fresh" under the fourth
definition. All eggs OF unknown age are
IN an untried state when purchased by
the dozen, and come under the third
definition. And all eggs In the market
are fresh" in that they have not been
picked.
II is incumbent upon the public 10
apologize for having assailed the cold
storage magnates and the wholesaler and
retailer OF eggs. All eggs are fresh ex-
cept those that are unsound, although
none is new laid save those gathered by
persons who shadow the hen personally
and decline TO receive the omelet through
the agency Of the mlddlemen.