The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-06-28
USE PARCEL POST
IN SHIPPING EGGS
Hints and Suggestions to Poul.
try Clubs and Chicken
Raisers.
GOVERNMENT WILL HELP
Farm Demonstration Agent Has
Talk With Boy and Girl
Workers.
BY J. C. HUNTER.
FARMERS Demonstration Agent Tor
Henrico County.

Henrico County.
Nearly a year ago I wrote upon
poultry keeping, but especially the egg
production branch of the business, as
an industry for girls on the farm and
a means of furnishing them with
profitable employment, thus enabling
them to help in the maintenance of
the home and giving them Il feeling OF
usefulness and Importance: also to
keep them satisfied with the home lifo.
but above all to make it unnecessary
for their breaking OF home ties and
going, to the city to work in offices
and stores.
Since then a large number of Girls
Poultry Clubs have been started by
tho tanners demonstration agent under
tho L. S. Department OF Agriculture,
throughout the country. 1t is for their
benefit and instruction. as we'll as
others that 7 am writing this.
Tf 1 had not myeslt. for moro than
twenty years. successfully conducted
such IN industry as ! have before dis
cribed. high-ciass egg production for
high-class trade. and induced and as
sisted others with advice principally
to take 1t up, | could not write with
as much confidence and assurance as
do.
SOME OF THE PROBLEMS
HAVE BEEN SOLVED
You will recall, Mr.. Editor, T advised
the production OF high-class eggs for
boiling, TO be broken on the breakfast
table, or, so fresh and reliable that
they might be used for this purpose
with absolute confidence. This neces-
states frequent shipments and protec-
ton from the heat. To manage this
where small fiocks arc kept and often
a. considerable distance from an ex-
press ONCE, has always been a prob
lem and often the reason for failure.
| Now. with the parce. post convent
ent even TO the most isolated, this is
| no longer problem. Realizing tho
possibilities and advantages to be
gained by using this means of rapid
| transportation. tho United States De-
partment of Agriculture has published
! in It's Weekly News Letter an article
from which I will select paragraphs
| that apply to conditions affecting the
poultry clubs and others
E-sTlte Weekly Letter sa:s:
| That eggs can BIO marketed suc-
cessfully by parcel post. and that this
method frequently secures a better
price for the producer ..nd a fresher
article for. the consumer. has now been
demonstrated to tho satisfaction of the
experts in the department. The de-
pa: tmcnt conducted tests that covered
period OF five months. At the end
sion that the parcel post was OF par
| ticular 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 com
| mcrcial caS, which holds thirty dozen
| eggs.
"In the course OF these experiments
the department shippca 9.lS1 eggs in
466 lots OF these So. or slightly less
| than 80 per cent, were broken, but
| only 2O9. or slightly less than 2.S per
cent, were absolutely wasted The
others, though broken. could still be
used. The percentage OF breakaSe,
is said, when the employees of the post
office become more accustomed to
handling such fragile matter
THE KIND TO PACK
AND HOW TO PACK THEM
That the eggs should he properly
packet is. OF course, essential. This
implies time. care. and some expense,
and Is one reason why no attempt
should be made 10 market by parcel
post any but the finest quality OF eggs
for they alone will bring rcmunerative
prices Moreover. II the customer who
buys In small lots finds ynat any con-
siderable proportion OF his purchases
Is undesirable or even unattractive 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 it !.
that all the eggs the postrnan delivers
are what he represents them to be-
If possible, only infertile eggs should
be sent to market Fertile eggs deA
teriorate rapidly in warm weather and
are the cause OF much loss. ~ broody
hen Oh the nest or accidental expo-
sure To high temperatures NAV start
lucuha ton and cause the egg to spoil
q mr. n Oh r. -
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.
After this thorough elimination Of
the unit. the eggs that remain should IS
he carefully packed In Il container OF
corrugated pasteboard, metal, wood or
other suitable material. Tho post-of-
nee regulations require this containe,.
To- be so wrapped that nothing can es-
cape from the package and each egg
In addition TO he wrapped separately in,
excelsior. cotton or some such mate.
rial ANY soft paper serves the pur-
pose quite well. AS for the container
itaelf. there are many kinds on tho
culture investigators have not att
tempted to decide which Is the bex1
Instead, they refer inquirers to theSva-
rious state experiment stations which
have available information on thIs
question.
In packing eggs. 1t Is well to sort !.
them as far as is practical according
to size and color and to keep for home
use those which are Irregular in shape. 5
long or thin shelied. Con -
tanners that have been badly stained
by broken eggs should be replaced by
new ones and the package wrapped ~;
neatly as possible. IN short, eyerv
effort should be made to deliver aa M
traotive package as possible intoathe
hands or the customers. Tho extra
expense will be little and the retmr,s
In Increased trade great
The larger the shipments that tho
producer can arrange to make. the
cheaper can he AFFORD to sell his eggs
Within the first and second zones OF
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