The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-30
BIG WASTE OF EGGS IN
HANDLING METHODS
Farmer Often Pays More Attention to
Quantity Than to QUALIFYING
mense Quantity Broken
From the North American.

From the North American.
Americans are great eaters of eggs. In
one form or other "hen fruit" enters into
the daily bill of fare Of every household
Practically the entire egg crop of this
country is absorbed by our own mar
kets, and the normal consumption might
be greatly increased by the adoption of
| improved methods of marketing, such rs
are now being advocated by the depart
ment of agriculture and the poultry de-
partments of the various agricultural col
leges.
Under existing market methods there
is constant waste. Not only are i'm
mense quantities of eggs broken because
of careless packing and handling, but the
quality of the great bulk of the annual
output is permitted to deteriorate in
quality before reaching the ultimate con-
sumer. The present system, or lack OF
system, is responsible for this 1t must
be remembered that the greater part of
our market egg supply comes from the
flocks of hens maintained on the general
farms and not from strictly poultry
farms. Also, that our eastern markets
absorb great quantities of southern and
western eggs, which are collected at some
central point and shipped in, usually by
freight.
If the consumer will only consider the
length of time which must elapse, for in
stance, between the day a hen on a Mis-
souri, farm lays an egg in the hay NOV
and the egg appears on a Philadelphia
breakfast table, he will understand why
the quality is scarcely what it should he
Here are the various stages of prog
ress: The Missouri farmer finds the nest
and regardless of the age of it's contents
he carries all of the eggs into the house.
IIAtA fhaxt l.
pcratures in the kitchen for several days
before it is convenient to take them TO
the country store. But quality doesn't
count with him. as the storekeeper buys
on the basis of quantity, not quality a
local dealer holds this, and similar lofs of
eggs until ne has enough to make good
sized freight shipment to the big dealers
During this period the process of deterio
ration may be further hastened bv stor
age in a warm place, or exposure of the
egg cases and their contents to the sun.
The pig dealers receive the eggs and
grade them by the process of .candlinr.,
The best grade eggs, which will appear
fuil -podied and free from checks, rot or
embryo chicks, are packed in clean ca SEES
and shipped east for table consumption
They are consigned to local jobbers who
distribute them among the retailers. The
latter may move them at once or NAV
be forced to hold them for several days
peiore liflally Selllng them to the con-
sumer During this period the eggs are
frequently kept in open receptacIes. az
boxes or baskets. exposed to heat and
light, and also to odors from lemons
kerosene, etc.
The above is not at all overdrawn. 1t
is square statement of the manner in
which very large portion of the south
erh ana western eggs crop is handled It
also applies in lesser degree to the han
ding OF farm eggs in the northern and
eastern states. Eggs so handled are eat
able, but they are decidedly inferior to
fresh laid eggs.
AT the present time there is a tendency
on the part of the great dealers to buy
on the "loss off, basis. paying for quail
ity instead of ignoring this most jmpor-
tant factor and buying merely py count.
When this movement reaches the local
dealer, and through him the farmer, the
quality of one average market egg will