Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-05-27
OF Stars, Men o.. -. s..
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study :. ~
BIZ Thomas K. Henri.

And Study ~ -.
By Thomas r. Henry. e..
The American hen promises to play .
big part in winning the war for Britain
Dried eggs are about the most con-
centrated form in which proteins can
be shipped across the Atlantic. All the
water is taken out-the white OF an
egg contains about 81 per cent water
and the yolk nearly so per cent-leaving
an egg powder which requires no re-
frigeration and will keep for at least
q year. A case Of 80 dozen eggs dries
down to about 10 pounds Of fry material.
In England 1t is only necessary to
add water to restore the egg for cook
ing purposes.
The Surplus Marketing Administration
Of the Department Of Agriculture has
purchased . half million cases Of 30
dozen eggs each in, the open market
during the past month. The greater
part Of this purchase is for England.
The precise amount cannot be stated
because of the military secrecy per-
tanning to food shipments.
At the same time the Department Of
Agriculture has launched Nation wide
drive to increase the egg production
of the United States about per cent
or approximately 10000 900 cases-in the
next Is months. A relatively small
amount Of this increase is intended for
domestic consumption. Some will be
supplied to the Red Cross to feed dis
tressed areas in Europe.
To obtain this increase, says Secre-
tary of Agriculture Claude r. Wickard,
who is directing the program, flock
owners will need to feed heavily to get
every. possible egg from laying hens on
hand this spring and summer. They will
need to save over every good layer for
next fall and winter egg production.
They should hatch or buy enough chicks
this spring, and save enough pullets, to
fill the laying houses Of America to
capacity for next springs production"
The drive is concentrated especially
on the center Of the American egg dry.
ing industry-TexaS, Oklahoma, Mis-
cOull, 1NSU1ASAd Aiio 4iA4l0Ac. 1oA eAsC
past 10 years production has dropped
OF steadily in this region, due to the
reduction Of poultry feed because Of the
drought. There is now . surplus Of
feed.
The major advantage lies in the small
shipping space required for dried eggs.
but almost equal in importance is the
fact that the hen is the most efhcient
converter Of bulky grain, composed
largely Of starches and sugars, into pro-
TENS and vitamins. Her only rival Is
the pig, whose end products are more
bulky and cannot be preserved 50 well
without refrigeration.
Eggs are far from perfect diet, but
they approach 1t about Is closely Is
any food. substance known to man. They
contain six Of the essential vitamins
and are one Of the richest sources known
for ribohavin, deficiency in which causes
. disease similar to pellagra. They are
4 fair source Of vitamin A, lack Of which
causes night blindness and increases
susceptibility to infections, and vitamin
D, essential to prevent ricketts, In chill
dren. Lack of the former recently has
been reported rs quite serious in the
British Isles. The rainy climate always
has made vitamin d especially essential.
Eggs also contain . fair amount Of
vitamin B-1, the nerve vitamin upon
q suficiency Of which Great Britain
lays special stress. They possess small
amounts OF K, the blood-clotting
vitamin.
But even more essential than the
vitamin are the amino acids, the ehemi-
cal substances into which proteins are
converted by digestion, and which are
essential to life and growth. Every
known one Of these acids considered
necessary IS contained in the egg
natures own exclusive diet for the
unmatched chicken. Eggs contain, for
example. larger amounts Of I sub
stance known Is lethycin, which is the
primary food Of nerves.
Eggs are especially rich in iron and
possess in addition calcium, magnesium,
potassium. sodium, aluminium, man
sanese, zinc, copper, lead, silicon,
phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine, iodine and
fiuorine. Minute amounts Of all these
are essential to human. health. There
are slight traces of arsenic, boron,
titanium and vanadium, for all Of which
the human body is believed to have q
need.
Under recent techniques developed by
Department Of Agriculture and State
experiment station scientists the hen
Is turned into an reproducing ma
chine, far different from the spas
medically laying bird Of = generation