Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-08-26
'pOl1lrRySneWS|
Suggestions For Sale Of Fancy
Eggs, Wholesale and Retail

a commission merchant, obtain the
name and address of a reliable firm
from the Director of the Extension Div
ision of your state Agricultural College.
Write this merchant that you in
tend to skip eggs to him and ask him
to express you ten secondhand egg
crates. When these are used. you can
obtain more. or you can buy stock
of returnable egg crates with hinged
covers. The latter stenciled with your
name and address, can be returned to
you when empty for ten cents express
charges.
For a crate of hennery eggs to grade
fine to fancy. every one must be of the
/ highest quality The specifications were
given in the New York quotations. but
the words large size" are difficult to
understand without something definite
to judge by. 1t is a simple matter to
cut an egg scale from the edge of
thin board. Make two saw cuts one and
five eighths inches apart and remove
the wood between, which results in
D-shaped opening. Grade all doubtful
eggs for size, and reject all eggs that
do not touch crosswise both points or
the scale--in other words, reject the
eighth inches in diameter across the
center. This scale takes out the un-
dersize eggs, saving you the trouble
of weighing the eggs to learn If they
weigh two ounces.
See that each egg has clean,
smooth shell. A damp cloth can be
used to remove a little dirt, but the
eggs should not be washed Reject
stained or dirty eggs, and those that
are cracked,
Packing and Shipping the Crate
| Place one-half inch of dry excelsior
in the bottom of one side of the crate
and distribute it evenly; cover 1t with
fat piecS of strawboard, and on that
lay filler with openings for three
dozen eggs. Pack the eggs large end
up. Complete the five filters on one
side; cover with a fiat and one-half
inch of excelsior. Fill the other side
similarly and nail the cover securely.
1t is immaterial whether you prepay
the express charges or send the crates
charges collect. In the latter case the
commission merchant will deduct the
charges from the sale of the eggs.
Cartons Develop the Local Trade
Poultrymen who do not obtain suf-
ficient eggs to warrant shipping in
crates, should sell fancy eggs in car
tons holding one dozen each. These
cartons are made in two styles; one
style holds three Fows of four eggs
each; the other holds two rows of six
eggs each. Select the latter, because
thirty of these 2-6 cartons can be
packed in the regulation crate, taking
the place of the flats and filters. The
cartons cost, printed with your adver-
tisement, about two-thirds of a cent
each in thousand lots.
Select and grade the eggs to place
in the cartons with care. Do not mix
| fn nd
you have breeds that lay the two col
ors. pack each color in one carton. Use
the egg scale and reject undersize eggs.
Have the eggs clean and smooth shell
ed.
There are grocers in your town who
will pay you a premium of several
cents per dozen for fancy eggs in car
toons, after sending out few cartons
to their customers. Many grocers sell
the eggs in the original carton, thus
advertising the breeder and increasing
the demand for his eggs. Every drug
or cigar store that sells egg drinks
will buy selected cartoned eggs at a
premium. Many of these stores do not
hesitate to hang up a business card
near their fountain which states that
they use nothing but day-old eggs
from such a popultry farm. If you
work in a large office, you can dispose
of cartons of eggs daily to your fell
low employees obtalLIng in this way
ADD SUGGESTIONS FOR AUGUST 2G
more than if you sold to a middleman
Let your neighbors know that they
can buy selected eggs from you pack
ed in cartons, and they will buy them
The foregoing are not imaginary ways
in which you can sell eggs in cartons
they are openings that have been sue
cessfully developed in each case into
a probable business that demands more
eggs than the plant could supply.
Cartons are convenient to fill and
carry to the customers. They can be
readily sealed and guaranteed. This
seal unbroken is a guarantee of quail
ity" appears on one style of colored
label that can be pasted over the cor
ner of lid and front. They are sani-
tary they are attractive and ineXpen-
sive, and there is practically no danger
of breaking the eggs.
Shipping table eggs by parcel post
has opened unlimited markets for the
poultryman located on a rural route
far from the express office, but unfor-
tunately, mailing eggs in this way is
not feasible, unless the carriers are re-
turned and used several times. Heavy
corrugated pasteboard containers
which are demanded by the post office
; department to prevent damage to other
mail, should be purchased in large lots
to reduce their cost. Even then the
cost of the container and the postage
on the dozen eggs mailed to a Gust.
mer in the first zone is about clever
cents. If the empty containers are
returned, and used six or eight times