Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1919-06-26
CARE and
SALE Of EGGS

Madison, Wis, June 25.-Three mil
lion dozen, thirty-six million eggs OF
this years product are now stored in
cold storage plants in the state OF
Wisconsin. In addition to these there
are as many more millions packed a
way in liquid glass or brine by private
families, and other several millions
have been shipped out of the state.
These various numbers together with
those consumed make up the total of
fourteen million dollars worth of eggs
which the annual product of Wiscon-
sin hens aggregate according to Dairy
and Food Commissioner Weigle. Wis
consin from being the sixth state in
the Union in egg production few
years ago, Mr.. Weigle states, is now
second.
1t is because of the enormous value
of the hen product of the state that the
dairy and food department has been
earnestly trying to get laws enacted
that would tend to conserve this great
food product. Up to 1917 Mr.. Weigle
alleges, the annual loss in eggs ow-
ing to careless handling was about
20 per cent. Last year thru the en-
forcement of regulation in the handl-
ing of eggs, the dairy and food depart
ment estimates that there was a mil
lion dollars saved in eggs over the
previous year What the department
is trying to get thru the legislature at
this time is what is known as the uni
form egg law, recommended by the
conference called more than a ye~
age by Mr.. Hoover This law would
enforce the "loss-off" regulation which
would make the producers of eggs
stand the loss of any non-edible eggs
offered by them to storage houses,
jobbers or retailers.
The chief failure in the handling of
eggs is in the farmers, and if they are
compelled to stand the loss of all non
edible eggs their methods will be inn
proved and large share of the loss
will be eliminated. All of this means
better prices for eggs to the farmer
which will more than repay him fcr
the extra care he must bestow upon
the handling The state dairy and food
department sends out several times a
year posters calling attention OF lain
ers to methods of handling eggs that
will increase their profits and gener-
ally improve the egg market. Here
are some of the suggestions:
Sell eggs on a loss-off basis.
Provide plenty of clean, dry nests
for your hens.
Gather the eggs daily in cool wea-
ther, and twice day in hot or rainy
weather.
Do not wash eggs. Use the dirty
and small eggs at home.
Don't sell incubator eggs. They are
bad.
Market your eggs daily, if possible;
if not. every other day.
Don't sell eggs which were found in
q stolen nest.
Keep the eggs out of the sun when
taking them to town.
Don't keep eggs near oil, onions,
etc, as they readily absorb odors.
Kill or sell all roosters as soon as
the Matching season is over.
Under the laws in operation now in
Wisconsin, farmers are subject to
prosecution if they sell non-edible eggs
and more and more it is the intention
to hold these producers of eggs to a
strict account for the quality of their
product. 1t is the belief of Dairy and
Food Commissioner Weigle, that in a
few years the results from the en-
forcement of the laws will bring Wis
consin farmers higher prices for their
eggs than are received by the farmers
of any other state.