Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-07-14
EGGS BY PARCEL POST.
Marketing System That Offers Possibilities
Of Better Prices for Product.


fully by parcel post and that this
method frequently secures a better
price for the producer and fresher
article for the consumer, has now peeh
demonstrated to the satisfaction OF the
experts of the United States depart
ment of agriculture, says Washing
ton letter. The department conoucleu
tests that covered five months. Al the
end of that period it came to the con-
clusion that the parcel post was Oh
particular value to the man "hoSe
flock was too small or who lives 100
far from express service TO permit MIN
to shin his eggs in the regular COM
roercial case. which holds thirty dozen
eggs.
In the course of these experiments
the department shipped 9,lSl eggs IN
4O6 lots. OF these 327, or slightly
less than SO per cent, were broken
hut only 2O9, or slightly less than 2.S
ner cent were absolutely wasted. Ihe
others, though broken, could still oe
used. The percentage of breaKage'
however, will be greatly reduced, II IS
said, when the employees of the post
offices become more accustomed 10
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 or eggs
for they alone will bring remuneratiVe
prices. Moreover, if the customer VINO
buys in small lots finds that 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 10
il that all the eggs the postman deliv-
ers are what he represents them to be.
This can only be done by candling
them. Candling-the process or test
ing eggs by passing light through them
so as to reveal the condition or the
contents-is ommitted by many pro-
ducers. who rely on care in collecting
to eliminate all bad eggs. 1t is. how
ever, impossible to avoid an occasional
accident, and Gambling is, therefore,
advisable as an extra precaution. A
simple outfit can be made out OF
small hand lamp and an ordinary
pasteboard box sufficiently large to be
placed over the lamps, after the ends
have been removed, without risk or
fire. In order to supply air to the IN
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 flame and the
Gambling is 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 which show any defect
can be rejected.
If possible, only infertile eggs should
be sent to market. Fertile eggs dete-
riorate rapidly in warm weather ana
are the cause Of much loss. A broody
hen on the nest or accidental exposure
to high temperature may start incu-
baton and cause the egg TO spoil and
injure the shippers reputation. 1t Is
advisable. therefore, to retain the FER
tile 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 removes a nat
ural 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 postofflce
regulations require this container to be
wrapped that nothing can escape from
the package, and each egg in addition
to be wrapped separately in excelsior,
cotton or some such material. Any
soft paper serves the purpose quite
we'll. AS for the container itself, there
are many kinds on the market, and
the department of agriculture investi-
gators have not attempted to decide
which is the best Instead they refer
inquiries TO the verious state expert
ment stations, which have available
information on this question.
In packing eggs it 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. Con-
tainers that have been badly stained
by broken eggs should be replaced by
new ones and the package wrapped
as neatly as possible. In short, every
effort should be made to deliver as at
tractive a package as possible into the
hands of the customers. 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 package costs
five cents for the first pound and only
one cent for each additional pound.
Ordinarily eggs weigh about one and
a half pounds to the dozen, which,
with the additional weight of the
wrapping and container, would make
q package of a dozen eggs weigh be-
tween two and three pounds. The
postage on this would be seven cents.
If another dozen eggs were included in
the package the postage would not be
more than cents. or a. cents of the
seven cents a dozen eggs.
To the value of the eggs and the
cost of postage must be added the cost
of the container and the wrapping.
For two dozen eggs this may be esti-
mated at eight cents With postage at
nine cents, it would. therefore, cost
II cents to market two dozen eggs, or
81 cents dozen. By shipping in ten
dozen lots. it is estimated that the
marketing can be reduced to Al cents
a 6nzaD