The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-07-09

The old gray hen of the American
BARNARD would be within her rea-
sonabie rights IL she should hle sniL
| for damages to the extent OF $z3Hs-
OOO, 900 q yeae against the men VINO
handle the eggs she Lays.
Between the deposit OF the eggs
| In the nests and their appearance OF
the breakfast table there 10 q Wae!s,
which. ii saved, would double the
lgize Of the American army and navy.
This waste is due to inefficient hand
ling. The department OF agriculture
knows just where the leaks occur.
1t is making strenuous EFFORT 70
arouse the handlers of eggs to sucn
an extent that they will stop those
leaks.
1t holds that II the leaks were all
stopped the food value of the egg
crop would be increased something
receiving the benefit. The increase
of the egg supply would lower the
price paid by eae consumer. The
greater quantities reaching me ulti-
mate market would, despite this, put
more money in the pockets of the
farmers.
1t is mistake to assume that the
legg business is of minor importance.
It is estimated that the consumer
pays T5e,00O.000 year for the,
eggs he eats. The products of the
American barnyard give precedence
In Importance only to corn and wheat
in their value. But FOR the great
egg waste these other crops mightl
be surpassed. and eggs might be the
first in value
The egg croptis large because there
are so many people engaged In Its
production. The map who mali
tains chicken farms, given oyer ex-
clusive1y to this line of production,
plays little part in the industry. ls
lis great because of the large number
of persons who engage in 1T as al
side issue-as a mere incident to-
other farm activities
There are 5000, 900 barn yards in
the nation where chickens are at
home. One family in every four
raises chickens despite the predomi-
nance of urban population. They
produce two billion dozen of eggs eV-
cry year. Every man, woman and
child in the nation consumes 240l
eggs, on an average, in the course of
a year. So is egg production brought
home to practically every citizen.
1t is because of this universal in
terest In the egg crop that the de-
partment has given it especial atten-
ton. Its study of eggs revealed some
interesting facts. 1t found. for In
stance, that there were great differ
ences in the sizes, and therefore In
the value, of eggs. There are certain
breeds of Leghorn hens that lay eggs
a crate of thirty dozens of which
weighs fifty-four pounds. The same
number of eggs from the Hamburg
breeds weighed thirty-six pounds.
These eggs were selling for the same
price while, as a matter of fact. one
contained fifty per cent more 1000
value than the other. The conclustonI
was that eggs should sell by weight,
and progress is being made toward
bringing this about.
The experts, that they might intellf-
gently advise as to methods of get
ting the egg crop to the consumer
without waste, set out on the trail
OF its life story. They began at the
source-the farm. There they found
that the eggs were gathered from
the nests at irregular intervals ana
often lay exposed to the sun for
hours or days: They were started
well on their way toward deteriora
ton before the farmer ever took
them from the nests. An active cam
Epaign was Immediately begun to bring
home to the farmer the necessity OF
gathering the eggs soon after they
were laid.
After the eggs were gathered It
was found that the farmer often Kept
them in a warm kitchen or some such
place for many days before market
ing them. The Importance of keep
ing them in the coolest place avatla-
bic, and of marketing them as quick
.ly as possible, was pointed out. The
exact facts as to what would happen
to a box of eggs that was placed In
the hack of a wagon where the sun