The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-14
PARCEL POST URGED
FOR SHIPPING EGGS
Producer Can Reach a Better
Market for His Goods
in This Way.
CAREFUL PACKING NEEDED
Not Advisable to Send Any but
Very Highest Quality in
Postal Service.

WASHINGTON, June lS.-That eggs can
be marketed successfully by parcel post
and that this method frequently secures
a better pI>co for the producer and Il
fresher article FOR the consumer has now
been demonstrated to the satisfaction OF
the experts in the United States Depart
ment OF Agriculture. The department
conducted tests that covered a period OF
five months. At the end OF that period
It came to the conclusion that tho parcel
post was of particular value to the man
whose flock was too small or who lives
too far from express service 10 permit
him 20 ship his eggs In the regular COM
mercial case, which holds thirty dozen
eggs.
In the course OF these experiments the
department shipped 9,131 eggs In 466
lots. OF these 327, or eighty less than
SO per cent. were broken, but only 209.
or slightly less than 23 per cent, were
absolutely wasted. The others. though
broken. still could be used. The per-
centage OF breakagc, moreover. Will be
reduced greatly. Il Is said, when the EN-
poyees OF the Post Office become more
accustomed 20 handling such fragile mat
! ter
That tho eggs should be packed prop
| erly IL 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 hut the
| nneSt Gll4lty OF ekSs, lot lHeS hlDne VIII
! bring remunerative prices. Moreover, II
the customer who buys In small lots finds
| that any considerable proportion of his
| purchases are undesirable or even unat-
/ tractive in appearance, he will not trouble
/ to ask for deductions on that account ;
he will simply discontinue his orders
! The producer, therefore, must see to IL
that all the eggs the postman delivers
are what he represents them TO be.
! This can be done Only by Gambling
them. Gambling the process OF testing
eggs by passing light through them so
as to reveal the condition OF the con-
/ tents" is omitted by many producers
who rely on care IN collecting to elimi-
| nate all bad eggs. II IL. however. inn
possible to avoid all occasional accident,
| and candiing Is therefore advisable as an
extra precautlon \ simple outfit can be
made out of a small hand lamp and an
| ordinary pasteboard hox sufficiently large
10 be placed over the lamp. after the
ends have been removed, without risk OF
| fire In order TO supply air to the en-
closed lamp, notches should be cut In the
edge on which the box rests. round
hole IL then cut In the box at the level
| OF the lamp fame and the Gambling done
by holding each egg against this hole
while the rest OF the room is In dark
ness The light from the lamp reveals
the contents OF the egg and those that
show any defect can be rejected.
II 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 a high tenn
perature may start incubation and cause
the egg to spoil and injure the shippers
reputation. 1t Is advisable. therefore.
to retain the fertile eggs for home use or
dispose OF them In some other way than
through the parcel post. This is true also
OF soiled eggs. Eggs never should be
washed when intended for high class
trade, since the process removes a natural
uucilaginous coating and opens the pores
Of the shell.
After this thorough elimination OF the
unfit the eggs that remain should be
packed carefully In a container or CORFU
gated pasteboard. metal, wood or other
suitable material. The post office regula-
tions require this container to be wrapped
, so that nothing can escape from the pack
age and each egg In addition to be
wrapped separately In excelsior. cottor
or some such material. Any soft paper
-. serves the purpose quite well. 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. In
stead they refer inquirers TO the various
state experiment stations which have
available information on this question.
In packing eggs 1t is well to sort then
: as far as Is practical according to size
= and color and to keep for home use those
which are irregular In shape, unusually
: long or thin SHIELDED Containers that have
been stained badly by broken eggs should
he replaced by new ones and the package
wrapped as neatly as possible. In short
every effort should be made to deliver a:
attractive a package as possible into the
$ hands OF the customers. The extra ex'
4 pense will be little and the returns In In
,, creased trade great.
: The larger the shipment that tn
!. producer can arrange to make thu
4 cheaper can he anord to sell his eggs
u Within the frst and second zones OF thu
parcel post service package costs