Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-03-12

Proper Method of Grading Eggs-Whi
prepared by the United States Depart
ment Of Agriculture.)
Because of the methods of handling
and marketing eggs in common use
among the general farmers who fur
nish the great bulk of the supply, it
Is not often that the producer can get
the full benefit of the high prices for
strictly fresh eggs during the fall and
| winter months. 1t is customary in
many sections of the country for the
farmer to take to town at irregular
Intervals basket of eggs some Of
which may be clean and some dirty,
some absolutely fresh and some dis
tinctly below the highest grade. He is
usually paid by number, not quality,
and thus gets no additional profit from
the eggs that are really first class.
| The village merchant, moreover, who
takes these eggs is not usually in a
| position to make regular shipments
to large markets. The result of all
this is that before the eggs reach the
ultimate consumer they have deterio-
rated to such an extent that they are
not of a quality to command the high
est prices.
This waste can be, to a great extent
at least, remedied by system of mar
keting eggs through creameries. 1t
is not necessary for the creamery to
be cooperative one, for even a pri-
vately owned establishment will natu-
rally be DESTROYS of adding to the
prosperity of the neighborhood and to
oblige as far as possible it's patrons.
For this reason it should content
itself with a moderate profit on the
eggs. This was the case with one pri-
vately owned creamery in the north
ern part of Minnesota, which may be
taken as an excellent example of the
possibilities of marketing eggs in this
way.
A short time ago about 1876 farmers
were selling their eggs through this
agency. They were scattered over a
wide territory, one man even driving
IA miles. Before the creamery con-
sented to market their eggs for them
each farmer was required to sign the
following agreement:
For the privilege of selling eggs to
the creamery company and getting a
market established for guaranteed
fresh eggs, I, the undersigned, hereby
pledge myself to comply in every way
with the following rules:
Il agree to deliver eggs at the
creamery that will not be to exceed
eight days old and to be picked in
(gathered) twice every day.
Eggs to be of uniform size (no un-
dersize or oversize eggs).
eggs to be clean and to be kept in
cool, dry cellar.
Brown eggs to be put in one car
ton and white in another and so
marked.
Each egg to be stamped on the
side and carton to be stamped on the
top.
81 agree not to sell any eggs that
have marked with the creamery com.
pany's trademark to anyone else but
the creamery company, and to return
stamps and other supplies that have
been furnished, in case should decide
to discontinue to sell eggs to the
creamery company"
Several points in this agreement are
worthy of notice. In the first place
eight days may not seem sufficiently
often in the majority of places to de-
liver the eggs, but the nights in Min.
nesota, even in summer, are usually
cool, and this, together with the gath
ering twice a day and the storage in
dry, cool cellars, was found sufficient
to keep the eggs in good condition. II
by no means follows, however, that
this would be possible elsewhere.
The brown and white eggs were sep
arated because 1t was found that this
added to the attractiveness of the
packages, and, secondly, because il
encouraged the keeping of hens which
lay white eggs. During the spring
months the owner of the creamery
paid one cent more for white eggs thar
for brown on the ground that in the
future he could obtain more for then
in the market, and that he wished te
stimulate the keeping Of one class Of
chickens in order to insure a more
uniform market.
The stamping Of the eggs is impor
tant. The stamp contained the name
of the creamery, the creamery brant
and serial number for each producer
Thus, in case of any carelessness Of
failure to maintain the proper qualit!
It was possible to trace the produc
back to the individual producer anC
lay the blame where it belonged.
Each farmer was furnished with
supply of cartons each of which he'll,
,ne dozen eggs and were so shape'