Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-06-03
POULTRY NOTES
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II OOLbNI IVObLO
A knowledge of Gambling is essen
tial to egg grading. Grading is be.
coming more and more customary in
the sale and purchase of eggs, be-
cause only by candling can it be made
certain that shipments of eggs COM
ply with federal, state and other reg
ulations, and because the most i'm
portant quality of an egg-freshness
can be best judged by candling.
The process, in simple terms, is to
hold an egg before a shaded light in
a dark room, and by noting certain
characteristics seen through the
semi-transparent shell to determine
its edible and marketable qualities,
Farmers with only a few eggs to
market may improvise a candler by
placing a stove pipe over a kerosene
lamp cutting a small hole in the pipe
level with the light. The egg is held
in a slanting position at the opening.
1t is twisted few times to the right
and left and then from end to end,
so that its entire contents may be
visible. Care should be taken that
the fingers or hand do not conceal
small blemishes, which otherwise
would be disclosed by the light. The
beginner should study carefully the
general formation of an egg, as this
detailed knowledge is necessary for
the application of the standards of
varying grades and qualities.
The yolk ranges in color from
light to orange and occasionally is
olive green. The eggs with olive
green yclks are less desirable be-
cause of this color but are considered
edible. The yolk is contained in
small light-colored circular area call
ed the germinal disk from which the
chick develops.
The yolk always floats in the
white with the chick spot on top.
Around the yolk is a small quantity
of thin white and then a heavy coat
of thick white. Twisted cord-like
coils of opaque white material called
chalazae extend from the yolk
through the white toward each end
of the egg and hold the yolk in posi-
tion yet allow it to turn freely.
Between the white and the shell
are two fibrous membranes with an
air space between them. When first
laid the contents fill the entire egg,
but when the egg cools the contents
shrink and these membranes separ-
ate, forming an air space. The size
Of this space is important in deter
the freshness of the egg. AS
the egg ages the air space increases
in size. Most bad eggs have enlarg-
ed air spaces.
A fine, thick white is found in a
fresh egg, and a weak thin white in
a stale egg. AS the egg becomes
stale the amount Of thin white in
creases and the amount of thick
white decreases. Several classes of
bad eggs are indicated by discolored
whites
The yolk of the fresh egg when
.wirled before the candle is seen dim
y as a dark object moving slowly
n the white. The yolk of a stale
,gg Is seen more plainly than that of
he fresh egg. When the yolk is so
weak that the shake of the egg in
causes it to break it should |
Ie graded as unmarketable. In the
resh egg the yolk is slightly above
he center in the large end of the |
'gg. AS the egg becomes stale the
ok floats higher and near the shell.
The start of incubation in fertile
'gg may be detected by reddish
'low surrounding the germinal spot.
This reddish glow is entirely differ
mt from the so-called blood-ring,
which indicates that the egg is unfit
or food