The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-06-16
POST IS
MUCH USEDFOR
MARKETING EGGS
With Great Success as Method
frequently Secures Better
Prices for Producer.

W 1OANs uuG 10 AAb
eggs can be marketed Successfully by
parcel post and that this method fire.
quently secures better price for the
producer and a fresher article for the
consumer has now been demonstrated
to the satisfaction of the experts in
the o. s. Department Of Agriculture,
The Department conducted tests that
covered a period of FIVE months. Al
the end Of that period 1t 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 doz-
en- eggs.
Percentage Eteduced.
In the course of these experiments
the Department shipped 9,131 eggs in
466 lots. OF these 32T or slightly
less than 3.6 per cent were broken,
but only 200 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, II
is said, when the employees of the
to handling such fragile matter.
That the eggs should be properly
packed is of course essential. This
implies time, care ana 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 remunera-
tive prices. Moreover, If the custo-
mer who buys in small lots finds that
any considerable proportion of his
purchases is undesirable or even I'M
attractive in appearance, he will not
trouble to ask for reductions 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 oc-
casional accident and, Gambling is
therefore advisable as an extra pre-
caution. A simple outfit can be
made out of small hand lamp ana
an ordinary pasteboard box sufficient
ly large to be placed over the lamp,
after the ends have been removed,
without risk Of fire. In order to sup
ply air TO teh enclosed lamp, notches
should be cut in 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 hold
ing 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 defects can be rejected.
Ship Infertile Eggs.
If 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 temper
AZURE may start incubation and cause
the egg to spoil and injure the ship
per's reputation 1t Is advisable,
therefore, to retain the fertile eggs
for home use or dispose of them in
some other way than through the par
eel post. Tis is also true of soiled
eggs. Eggs should never be washed
when intended for high class trade,
since the process removes 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 container of
corrugated pasteboard, metal, wood
or other suitable material. The post
Office regulations require this contain
er to be so wrapped that nothing can
escape from the package and each
egg In addition to be wrapped sepa-
rately in excelsior, cotton, 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
Agricultur Investigators have not at
tempted to decide which is the best.
Instead 'they refer inQuirers to the
various state experiment stations
which have available information on
this question.
In packing eggs 1t is we'll 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, 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 custo-
mers. The extra expense will be lit
tie 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
one and one-half pounds a dozen,
which with the additional weight Of
the wrapping and container, would
make package of dozen eggs weigh
between two and three pounds. The
postage on this would be seven cents.
II another dozen eggs were included
in the packages the postage would not
be more than nine cpnts M. four ond