Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-11-25
BY }. RAYMOND KEsSLER,
Practical Poultryman.

The paramount issue in developing q
worthwhile market for eggs Is to de-
liver the product clean and fresh, not
most of the time but all the time. One
or two bad eggs now and then has
wrecked many a promising trade. not
only causing the loss of present Gus
toners. but also destroying the future
trade possibilities Of the producer.
Some poultry raisers claim that a bad
egg now and then cannot be helped.
but in truth the only excuse for bad
eggs is negligence on the part Of the
producer.
The first step in developing q good
market must he taken in the henhouse
Itself. This should mean a general
cleanup of the quarters. particularly
the nests. and in supplying the latter
with an abundance OF clean straw or
other nesting material.
The next step is frequent gathering OF
the eggs and storing them in clean.
cool place until marketed. To be sure
OF freshness the eggs should be gath
cred at least twice a day, and even
oftener in extremely hot or cold
weather. Most poultry raisers are care
full to gather their eggs frequently in
hot weather. but rather neglected. in
cold weather. thinking that so long as
the eggs are not frozen badly enough
to crack them open that they are not
harmed. This is false idea, for even
slight freezing will destroy an eggs
freshness. An egg that has been slight
~ frozen will appear much like stale
egg when opened, being rather watery
and it will have a fiat taste. Frequent
gathering is as important in winter as
in summer.
Grading of Prime Importance.
Next in Importance comes grading. an
absolutely necessary work if one would
secure and hold a worthwhile trade.
Grading usually conveys the idea OF
color alone. whereas true grading in
Guides three things-coior. size and
freshness.
In grading for color. the eggs should
be separated into three lots. the abso-
lutely whiteshell eggs. those With
and on-color ones. The grower will
come nearer to having uniform color
of egg If he adopts one breed Of fowls
instead of a mongrel fock. AS an in
stance, we obtain the whiteshell egg
from the Leghorn, brown eggs from the
Rocks and from the Wyandotte the
speckled egg.
The next step In grading is size. which
is fully as important as color. Nothing
detracts more from price than to have
one or two small eggs in a layer.
The Campines have been bred in Bel
gium for centuries. and have achieved
wide popularity throughout Europe be-
cause OF their heavy egg production.
There are Silver and Golden Campines,
ard both varieties lay white eggs of
good size. and like the Leghorns seldom
become broody.
The Golden Campine is n handsome
fowl. about the same size as our Leg
horns. 1t Is alert and active. and its
brilliant golden body and color. con-
trasting sharply with the intense green
ish black barring. is much admired Its
lobes are white and combs single. fall
ing over to one side on the female.
The Campine male is hen-feathered:
that Is. he does not possess the long
flowing. sharp-jointed hack!e and sad
die feathers usually seen on the male,
nor the long -curving sickles of a cock.
and he is colored exactly like the hen.
No doubt the most important point In
grading is freshness. for, IL the eggs
are stale. then grading for color and
size is wasted labor. Where it is the
endeavor to serve a particularly good
trade it Will pay to candle even the
freshest Of eggs.