OCR Text |
Show Cause of Bad Eggs. Prof. A. G. Gilbert says: It la not 'only in winter there is a demand for . absolutely fresh eggs. There is a de mand in summer also. Ia; fact, my experience is, that it is more difficult in cities to obtain a supply of really well-flavored eggs in July thaii It la In January. I have known pases where eggs have been purchased from grocers In mid-summer, half of which were of objectionable flavor, and the other half positively bad. -This is not all due to dishonesty on the part of farmers It is not all owing to the action of people knowingly - sending stale eggs to market. I will tell you one cause to which is due the develop- ment of objectionable flavor In "so many summer eggs. Summer Is the natural breeding season of the fowl, and eggs where males run with the hens are then strongly fertile. There are also a lot of broody hens about at the same time. Now, what follows when, as Is usually, the case, eggs are gathered late In the evening, or possibly, only once In two days? One hen lays an egg early in the morning; another follows suit, later; perhaps a third or fourth or fifth comes and lays In the same nest. By this time the first egg is getting pretty well warmed up. Then a broody hen comes and occupies the nest until evening or next morning. What is the result? Foster and Balfour tell us that some development takes place In the germ of the egg within eight hours' covering. cover-ing. If an egg , in that condition. Is taken to market, the cell will be rup-v rup-v tured in handling, and then, decomposition decom-position sets in, and the Savor' is ' ruined. -' : -.. ' "' . ' Eggs for the Inoubator. From Farmers' Review: In a past issue of the Farmers' Review "H; H." asked how to get enough' fertile eggs to fill his incubator. He would better speak to several farmers and . engage enough eggs to fill that incubator; if one will agree to pay them a' few cents more per dozen than they can get at the store, they will mostly be glad to accommodate, and will bring only such as they would set themselves. Lacking Lack-ing this chance, go to. a store that receives quite a number of. eggs from farmers themselves, not hucksters, speak to the proprietor about the eggs ; if he is as accommodating as the most l ot them .are he will save a particular promising batch of eggs for you, and will : allow you to cull them, too. You of course should pay .a. little extra for this. You -would ; much better engage eggs of reliable farmers or send to poultry . breeders I for eggs, for store eggs during the j late fall months are quite likely largely to be packed ones. We have ') bought eggs from stores to fill ma-J ma-J chines during' the summer and re-' re-' ceived a good hatch, but late as No vember there is more risk. Don't buy eggs of a huckster to set, for they are a sort of clearing-house for doubtful doubt-ful eggs if they have any "queer" customers on their route. Time to set incubators? "M. L. D." should 'have stated what he wished to do with his hatch, then one could have answered better. As a rule any time that one has good eggs and is prepared pre-pared to attend to the machine. Emma Clarwaters. |