The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1914-06-20
EGGS BY PARCEL POST
A System of Marketing That
Offers Possibilities OF Bet
ter Prices for the Producer
and Fresher Articles for
the Consumer.

Washington, D. G THAT eggs
can be marketed successfully by
parcel post and that this method
frequently secures better price
for The producer and freshef a.
ticle for the consumer has now
been demonstrated to the sstisfac
ton OF the experts in the Y. D
Department of Agriculture The
Department conducted tests thai
covered period of five months
At the end Of that period 1t came
to the conclusion that the parcr
post was of particular value to
the man whose flock was too small
OF 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 expert
ments the Department shipped
9,131 eggs in 46G lots Of these
327 or slightly less than SO per
cent were broken, but only 209 OF
slightly less than 2 3 per cent
were absolutely wasted. The 9th
ers, though broken, could still be
used. The percentage Of break
age, moreover, will be greatly re
duced, 1t is SAID, when the EN-
ployees of the Post Office become
more accustomed to handling such
fragile matter.
That the eggs should be proper
ly packed il Of course essential.
This implies time, care and some
expense and is one reason why nc
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 consid
cradle proportion of his purchases
il undesirable or even unattrac.
tive in appearance, be will not
trouble to ask for deductions on
that account; he will simply dis
continue his orders. The pr0duc
or, therefore. must see to it thai
all the eggs the postman delivers
are what he represents them to be
This can only be done by can
ding them. Gambling 1.-THE pro.
cess Of testing eggs by passing
light through them SO AS TO reveal
the condition Of the contents,r il
omitted by many producers who
rely OIL care 10 collecting to ellmi
nate all bad eggs. II is, however
impossible to avoid an occasional
accident and Gambling ia therefore
advisable az al extra precaution
A simple outfit can be made ou'
of a small hand lamp and an ordl
nary pasteboard box sufficiently
large to be placed over the lamp
after the ends have been removed
without risk of fire. In order tt
supply air to the enclose lamp
notches should be cut in the edge
on which the box rests. A rounC
hole IL then cut in the box at tn.
level Of the lamp flame and til,
Gambling done by holding eacl
egg against this hole while tb,
rest of the room ia in darkness
The light from the lamp reveal,
the contents Of the egg and thos,
that show any defect can be re
jected.
II possible only intertile egg
should be sent to market. Fer
tile eggs deteriorate rapidly ii
warm weather and are the caus,
Of much loss. A broody hen OF
the nest or accidental exposure t
high temperature may start in
cubatl0n and cause the egg t
spoil and iDjure the shippers rep
utatiOD 1t is advisable, there
fore, to retain the fertile eggs 70
home use or dispose of them il
some other way than through tn,
parcel post. This Is also true o
soiled eggs. Eggs should neve
be washed when intended TO
high class trade, since the process
removes . natural mucilagiDoul
coating and opens the pores of th,
shell.
After this thorough elimination
of the nDfit, the eggs that remain
should be carefully packed in ;
container of corrugated paste
board, metal, wood or other sulta
bic material. The post Office reg
ulati0ns :, quire this container I,
be 90 wrapped that nothing Cal
escape from the package ana eacl
egg IN addition to be wrapped
separately IN excelsior, cotton, OF
some such material. Any soft pa
per serves the purpose quite we'll
Az for the container itself. Their,
are many kinds on the market ant
the Department of Agriculture in
vestlgators have not attempted tt
decide which is the best. Instead
they refer inquirer 10 the various
State experiment stations which
have available information on thi,
question.
In packing eggs 1t is we'll t
sort them AZ far - 10 practical &C