Lower coast gazette., 1914-08-01
Eggs by Parcel Post.

AhS w
That eggs can be marketed success
fully by parcel post and that this meth
cd frequently secures a better price'fo 20
the producer and fresher article fol
the consumer has now been demonstrat
ed to the satisfaction of the experts ir
she U. S. Department Of Agriculture.
The Department conducted tests thai
covered a period of FIVE months. Al
the end Of that period it came to the
conclusion that the parcel post was Of
particular value to the man whose flock
was too apall 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 experiment.
the Department shipped 9,13l eggs ir
466 lots. OF these 327 or slightly less
than 8 s per cent were broken, but only
20s or slightly less than 2 3 per cent
were absolutely wasted. The others,
though broken, could still be used. The
percentage of breakage, moreover,
will be greatly reduced, it is said, when
the employees of the post office be-
come more accustomed to handling such
fragile matter.
That the eggs should be properly
packed is Of course essential. This i'm
plies 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 of eggs, for they
alone will bring remunerative prices.
Moreover, if the customer who buys in
small lots finds that any considerable
proportion Of bis purchases is undesir-
able or even u%nattractive in appear
ance, he will not trouble to ask for de-
auctions on that account; he will simp.
~ discontinue his orders. The producer
therefore, must see to it that all the
eggs the post mar delivers are what he
represents them to be.
This can only be done by Gambling
them. Gambling, the process Of test
ing eggs by passing hight through them
so as to reveal the condition Of the con-
tents, is omitted by many producers
who rely on are in collecting to elm
mate all bad eggs. 1t is, however,
impossible to avoid an occasional acct
dent and Gambling is therefore advis-
able as an extra precaution. A simple
outfit can be made out of a small hand
lamp and an ordinary p~asteboard box
sufficiently large to be placed e the
lamp. after the ends have been remov-
ed, without risk of FIRE. In order to
supply air to the enclosed lamp, notches
should be cut it the edge on which the
box rests. A round hole is then cut in
the box at the level Of the lamp flame
and the Gambling done by holding 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 de-
feet can be rjected.
If possible only infertile eggs should
be sent to market. Fertile eggs deter.
iorate rapidly in warm weather and
are the cause of much loss. A broody
hen on the nest or accidental exposure
to q high temperature may start incu-
baton and cause the egg to spoil and
injure the shippers reputation. 1t is
advisable, therefore, to retain. the fer.
tile egg for home use or dispose OF
them in some other way than by par
Gel post. This is also true Of soiled
eggs. Eggs should never be washed
when intended for high class trade,
since the process removes a natural
mucilaginous coating and opens the
pores Of the shell.
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 container to
be SO wrapped that nothing q escape
from the package and each egg in adj
dition to be wrapped separately in ex-
c%elsior. cotton, or some such material.
Any soft paper serves the purpose
quite well. As for the c~ontainer itself
there are many kinds on the market
and the Department Of Agriculture in
vestigators save not attempted to de-
eide which is best. Instead they re-
fer inquirers to the various state ex-
pertinent stations which have available
information on this question.
In packing eggs it is we'll to to sort
them Is far as practical according to
size and color and to keep for home use
FH4I IIrH -MeH1
PALACE OF EDUCATION
EtAh