Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-06-18


eel post and that this method fire.
quently secures a better price for the
producer and a fresher article for the
consumer has nov been demonstrated
to the satisfaction of the experts in
the L. S. Department of Agriculture.
The Department conducted tests that
covered period of five months. At
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 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 91S1 eggs in
466 lots. OF these 327 or slightly
less than 3.6 per cent. were broken.
but only 209 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 greately reduced it
is said when the employees of the Post
Office become more accustomed to
handling such fragile matter.
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 of eggs,
for they alone will bring remunerative
| prices Moreover, If the customer
who buys in small lots finds that any
considerable proportion of his pur-
ehases is 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 1t that all the eggs the
post-man delivers are what he repre-
sents them to be.
This can only be done by Gambling
them. Gambling, THE process of
testing 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 occa-
sional accident and Gambling is there
fore advisable as an extra precau
ton. A simple outfit can be made
out of a small hand lamp and an
ordinary pasteboard box sufficiently
large TO be placed over the lamp after
the ends have been removed, without
risk of fire. In order to supply air
to the enclosed lamp, notches should
be cut in the edge on which the box
rests. 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 rejected
If possible only infertile eggs should
| be sent to market. Fertile eggs de-
| teriorate rapidly in warm weather and
are the cause of much loss. A broody
| hen on the nest or accidental ex
posure to a high temperature may
start incubation and cause the egg to
spoil and injure the shippers reputa-
ton. 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 also true of soiled eggs. Eggs
should never be washed when intend
ed for high class trade, since the
.
nous 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 con-
tainer of corrugated pasteboard
metal, wood or other suitable material
/ The post office regulations require
/ this container to be so wrapped that
nothing can escape from the package
and each egg in addition to be
wrapped separately in excelsior, cot
ton, 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 investiga-
tors have not attempted to decide
which is the best. Instead they refer
inquirers to the various state expert
ment stations which have available
Information on this question.
In packing eggs it is well to sort
them as far as is practical according
10 size and color and to keep for
home use those which are irregular in
shape, unusually long or thin shelled.
/ Containers that have been badly
stained by broken eggs should be re-
placed by new ones and the package
wrapped as neatly as possible. In
short every effort should be made to
deliver as attractive package as
possible into the hands of the Gus
toners. The extra expense will be
! little and the returns in increased
trade great
The larger the shipments that the
producer can arrange to make, the
cheaper can he afford to sell his eggs.
Within the first and second zones of
the parcel post service, a package
costs five cents for the first pound and
only one cent for each additional
pound. Ordinarily eggs weigh about
i1a pounds a dozen, which with the
additional weight of the wrapping and
container, would make package of q
dozen eggs weigh between two and
three pounds. The postage on this
would be cents. If another dozen
eggs were included in the package the
postage would not be more than 8
cents, or Az instead of cents a dozen
eggs.
To the value of the eggs and the
| cost of poStage must be added the