Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1936-06-04
EGG QUALITY
CAN BE HIGH
Proper Care in Handling by
Minnesota Producers
Would Reward.
Dairy and Food Depart
ment Urges Catering to
the Market.

This section of the state has
considerable income from egg
production and it is here that the
worlds best eggs are produced.
However, Minnesota's producers
are taking less for their eggs
than those on the West Coast,
according to the Minnesota Dairy
and Food Department. This de-
partment has been interested in
encouraging the producers to
market better eggs and to Sc
cure the highest price possible
for their product. The depart
ment sends out the following
bulletin on the situation:
The value of eggs is determined
by their quality. The quality is de-
termined by the outward appearance
and the inward condition. The out
ward condition must be clean and
sound; the inward condition is easily
determined by Gambling. When an
egg is placed before light in dark
room, the quality is apparent. This
is very simple procedure which will
enable anyone to tell the condition
of the eggs Immediately. The egg
buyers, by that is meant the people
engaged in buying eggs to hold in
storage for future consumption, have
long recognized the vast difference
in quality between strictly fresh
egg and a low grade egg.
The federal government has set up
various grades covering this differ
ence in quality, and these grades are
known as Specials" Extras" Stan
dards,'' Trades etc. Eggs bought
by the various procurement agencies
are sold on grades, whether bought
on a grade basis or not, and the diff
ference in price is based on the quail
ity. AS it is good business for the
wholesaler of eggs to sell on grade
basis, it must surely be good business
for the producer to sell on a grade
basis.
Set Grades.
Three years ago, the Minnesota
Dairy and Food Department set up
retail selling grades in Minneapolis.
st. Paul and Duluth. Those grades
are known as "a" "B' and under
grade" Minnesota Grade A eggs in
clude the federal grades of Specials"
and Extras" and it is in this quail
ity grade that the shortage is most
apparent. Because of this shortage,
some large distributors of eggs in
Minnesota do not even attempt at any
month of the year to pack an A grade
egg for distribution and consumption
in the three cities mentioned. Ger
tainly you can understand from this
information that there are very few
u. S. Extras" and Specials" being
exported from Minnesota. That is
why the Dairy and Food Department
is concerned with the quality of the
eggs marketed. 1t is interested in
encouraging the consumption of our
eggs at home and in other states and
would like the farmers in Minnesota
to enjoy the benefits of premium
price now taken by the egg producers
on the Pacific coast.
Best Eggs in World Here.
Does the Pacific coast produce bet
ter eggs than are produced locally?
Absolutely not Does the Pacific coast
market better quality egg than is
marketed locally? We must admit
they do. Minnesota produces the
best eggs in the world and the only
reason we do not receive the top price
is the fact that the Pacific coast
has a better system of delivering
this quality to the consumer. You
are interested in knowing just what
this difference is. The answer is in
two words, care and uniformity. By
uniformity we mean eggs that are
graded uniform in weight, color and
quality.
We can grade eggs in Minnesota to
meet this uniformity as is being done
at the present time but only to linn
tied extent In the sections of the
state where it is being done, the pro-
gram is meeting with marked sue
cess. The market certainly desires
this uniformity, for the premium at
the present time enjoyed by the Paci-
fic coast eggs is around seven cents
for the top grades, a state of affairs
which proves our contention. We are
interested in having the farmer give
some thought to this matter, so vital
fo his well-being, because it is trag-
edy that eggs coming from the Paci-
fic coast, moving across the entire
continent to eastern markets can en-
ioy a premium of seven cents per
/ dozen over the best eggs in the world,
[ Minnesota eggs. This is entirely due
70 our lack of interest generally in
quality marketing.
( Whom are we attempting to please
( fin the marketing of eggs that so much
stress should be laid upon the quail
fly of eggs? We are attempting to