The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1914-09-24


That eggs can be marketed success
fully by parcel post and that this
method frequently 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 United States de-
partment OF agriculture. The depart
ment conducted tests that covered a
period Of FIVE months. At the end Of
that period II 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 ex-
press 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 9,131 eggs in
466 lots. or these 327, or slightly less
than S.6 per cent, we're broken, but
only 209. or slightly less than 2.3 per
cent, we're absolutely wasted. The
others, though broken could still be
used. The percentage of breakage,
moreover, will be greatly reduced, 1t
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 re-
munerative prices. Moreover, IL the
customer who buys in small lots finds
that any considerable proportion of
his purchases is undesirable or even
unattractive in appearance, he will
not trouble to ask for deductions on
that account; he win simply discon-
tinue his orders. The producer, there
fore. must see to 1t that all the eggs
the postman delivers are what he rep
resents them to be.
This can only be done by Gambling
them. Gambling. "The process of test
Ing eggs by passing light through
them so as to reveal the condition of
the contents" is omitted by many pro-
ducers, who rely on care in collecting
to eliminate all bad eggs II is, how
ever, impossible to avoid an occasion
al accident, and Gambling is therefore
advisable as an added precaution. 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 en-
closed 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 fame 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 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 temperature may
start incubation and cause the egg TO
spoil, and injure the shippers reputa-
tion. II is advisable, therefore, to re-
tain 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 intended for
high-class trade, since the process re-
moves 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 a container of
corrugated pasteboard, metal, wood or
other suitable material. The post OF.
hce regulations require this container
to be so wrapped that nothing can es-
cape from the package. and each egg,
In addition TO be wrapped separately
In excelsior, cotton or some such ma
terial Any soft paper serves the
purpose quite well. As for the con-
tainer itself. there are many kinds on
the market. and the department of ag.
riculture investigators heve 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, II is we'll to sort
them as far as practical, according to
size and color, and 10 keep for home