The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-02-09
EGGS PLACE IN DIET IMPORTANT
 DESPITE PRICES

DAOl H. 1lAVAV
 Washington, D. C., Feb. 5-Because 1 of the peculiar food value of eggs, 1 their relative freedom from waste,
 and the ease with which they may be prepared, their use as meat substi- tutes at least Is often desirable even when consideration of their price alone would not so indicate. This is stated in a recently published pro- fessional paper of the Office of Home Economies of the U. s. Department of Agriculture, Department Bulletin, All. It is pointed out, however, that while this is true of eggs served as one of the principal dishes of
 meal it often is not true of eggs used in cakes, buildings, and other desserts along with meats. It is in the latter use of eggs that the housewife who wishes to economize can try especial ly to curtail consumption. A fact which makes this latter practice easier is that with the present avail ability of baking powders, corn starch, gelatin, etc., the use of eggs to impart lightness or to thicken H- uuids is not now essential as it was in the past.
 Food Elements in Eggs.
 |. The principal food element furnish ed by eggs is protein, the nitrogenous tissue building element whose pres ence in considerable proportions also gives meats, fish, milk, cheese, etc., their special food value. Eggs can, therefore, be substituted in the diet for the latter foods without mater ially altering the proportion of pro-
 tein consumed. In addition to pro-
 tein eggs also furnish fat and num-
 Der of valuable mineral elements, in cluding sulphur, phosphorus, 1rons
 calcium, and magnesium, in an easily
 assimilable form, and are believed
 also to be rich in certain essential
 vitalizing elements called vita l hlins.
 l Like milk and unlike meats, eggs i do not contain substances converti-
 ble in the body into uric acid. Their
 shells constitute theseonly waste ma | terials. Ninety-seven per cent. of
 the portion eaten-a high proportion
 cofpared to other foods-is digested.
 No extended cooking is necessity for eggs and there is, therefore, a saving of time, labor and fuel in their
 preparation when they are compared l with many other foods. For all
 these reasons eggs deserve an impor-
 tant place in the diet for use at times 1 in place of other foods rich in pro-
 tein, provided egg prices are not so high as to outweigh the other con-
 sidetations.
 | Though wholesome when fresh and | clean, eggs may be decidedly un-
 wholesome when old or dirty. The 1,o fo ch ho w l buying, therefore, to choose eggs
 which are as clean and fresh as pos sible. Similarly, the producer of
 eggs should keep nests clean and san itary and should collect eggs fre- auently. It is also we'll to insure the production of eggs with good keep ing qualities by producing only in i fertile eggs after the matching sea- son.
 How to Select Eggs.
 In addition to cleanliness and freshness, the housewife when pur- chasing eggs, should consider size and freedom from cracks. Eggs vary so in size that dozen large and a dozen small eggs purchased at the same price per dozen may differ as much as 25 per cent. in the value of the food clements furnished. Perhaps the fairest way to buy or sell eggs is by weight. Because of the wide variations in the size of eggs, it is also coming to be recognized that more accurate results in recipes can be ob- 1 tained by weighing or measuring the eggs out of their shells. Cracked eggs are undesirable because the breaking of the shell makes possible the entrance of bacteria and filth. Because fewer eggs are produced in the most populous regions of the ! country than are consumed there, and because the seasons have marked effect on the number of eggs laid, city housewives must use cold storage eggs during some periods of the year if they are to supply their tables at all with this food. The fact that 1 eggs have been held in cold storage does not necessarily mean that they ! are of low quality. Carefully han dled cold storage eggs often are of l better quality than fresh local eggs i for.
 Housewives will often find it ad- vantageous to preserve their own l eggs in the home, purchasing them | when the supply is abundant and l packing them in a solution of water glass or lime water, or covering them | with paraffin or varnish. Such eggs can be kept in good condition for a | number of months. For current use fresh eggs usually can be kept sat isfactorily for two or three weeks without such treatment, in a refrig- orator or dry, cool cellar. If infer tile, such eggs may be kept still long, CT.
 THE INCOME TAX.