Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1914-06-19
SHIPPING EGGS BY
THE PARCEL POST
OFFERS POSSIBILITIES OF BET
TER THINGS FOR PRODUCER
AND CONSUMER.

WASHINGTON, d. c., June 80
That eggs can be marketed success.
fully by parcel post and that this
method frequently secures a better
price for the producer and freshel
article for the consumer has now
bee" demonstrated 70 the satisfa elton
of the experts in the United States
department of agriculture, after con-
Quoting tests that covered period of
five months. At the end of that per-
iod it came to the conclusion that the
parcel post was of particular value to
the man whose flock was too small or
who lives too far from express service
to permit him to ship his eggs in the
regular commercial case which holds
80 dozen eggs.
In the course of these experiments
the department shipped 9,131 eggs
in 466 lots. OF these 1927 or slightly
less than SO per cent were broken,
but only 209 or slightly less than 2.3
per cent were absolutely wasted. The
others, through broken, could still
be used. The percentage of breakage,
moreover, will be greatly reduced it
is said, when the employees of the
pOstOffice become more accustomed to
handling such fragil matter.
u n.~I.
That the eggs should be properly
packed is of course essential. This
implies time, care and some expense
and is one reason why no attempt
should be made to market by parcel
post any but the finest quality %
eggs, for they alone will bring remun-
erative prices. Moreover, if the Gus
toner who buys in small lots finds
that any considerable proportion of
his purchases is undesirable or even
unattractive in appearance, he will
simply discontinue his orders. The
producer, therefore, must see to it
that all the eggs the postman deliv-
ers are what he represents them to
be.
This can only be done by Gambling
them. Gambling, 1.-THE process of test,
ing eggs by passing light through
them SO as to reveal the condition of
the contents" is omitted by many
producers who rely on care in collect
ing to eliminate all bad eggs. 1t is,
however, impossible to avoid an oc-
casional accident and Gambling is
therefore advisable as an extra pre-
caution. A simple outfit can be made
out of a small hand lamp and an or
binary pasteboard box sufficiently
large to be placed over the lamp, af-
ter the ends have been removed,
without risk of fire. In order to sup
ply air to the enclosed lamp, notches
should be cut in the edge on which
the box rests. A round hole is then
cut in the box at the level of the lamp
fame and the Gambling done by hold
ing each egg against this hole while
the rest of the room is in darkness.
The light from the lamp reveals the
contents of the egg and those that
show any defect can be rejected.
If possible, only infertile eggs
should be sent to market. Fertile
eggs deteriorate rapidly in warm
weather and are the cause of much
loss. A broody hen on the nest or
accidental exposure to high temper
ature may start incubation and cause
the egg to spoil and injure the ship
per's reputation. 1t is advisable,
therefore, to retain the fertile eggs
for home use or dispose of them in
some other way than through the par
Gel post. This is also true of soiled
eggs. Eggs should never be washed
when intended for highclass trade
since the process removes a natural
mucilaginous coating and opens the
pores of the shell.
Tells How to Pack Them.
After this thorough elimination of
the unfit, the eggs that remain should
be carefully packed in a container of
corrugated pasteboard, metal, wood
or other suitable material. The post
Office regulations require this con-
tainer to be so wrapped that nothing
can escape from the package and each
egg in addition to be wrapped separ-
ately in excelsior, cotton, or some
such material. Any soft paper serves
the purpose quite we'll. AS for the
container itself, there are many kinds
on the market and the department of
agriculture investigators have not at
tempted to decide which is the best.
Instead they refer inquirers to the
various state experiment stations
which have available information on
this question.