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Show EGGS FRO fa THE FARM Should Be Gathered Often and j Kept in Dry Place. In Handling, Marketing and Shipping They Should Not Be Exposed to Draughts and Should Be Properly Protected. (By N. E. CHAPMAN.) The common causes of loss may be classed under several heads: Small eggs, dirty eggs, breakage, shrunken and rotten eggs, moldy and flavored eggs. Eggs must weigh two ounces Dr over to be classed as No. 1. Lighter Light-er eggs should be consumed on the farm, rather than be sold at a reduced re-duced price. Like eggs too small, eggs abnormally large or misshaped Bhould be used at home, for such will be easily crushed in the case, and are always classed as "seconds." About five eggs out of each hundred hun-dred marketed are classed as "dir- Out of Every Dozen Eggs That Leave the Farm, but Ten Are Fit to Be Delivered to Customer. ties." These are stained, smeared, muddy, or covered with filth. The odor of whatever soils the egg will soon penetrate the shell and flavor the contents. Market eggs should cever be washed, as they take odors more rapidly and soon are stale. Eggs may be washed, however, for use at home. Eggs carried to market in bran are generally classed as "dirties." "dir-ties." The bran adheres to the shell, and is difficult to remove. It is estimated that eight per cent of the eggs are broken In moving from producer to consumer. Checked, Check-ed, dented or leaking eggs sooa sour, and must be marketed at greatly reduced re-duced prices. If checked or broken on the way to market, they should be taken home for use in the family. Eggs should be gathered often and kept in a cool, dry place until the first opportunity for marketing. Broody hens should be taken from the nests at once, and confined by themselves, unless needed for hatching hatch-ing purposes. After the hatching season sea-son is over, all roosters should be sold or confined, and not allowed to run with the laying flock during the summer. Hens will lay more eggs, and be In better health without the male birds. Infertile eggs are far superior su-perior for preserving, shipping and storing. Sixty-five per cent of the contents of a fresh egg is water; and because of a porous shell this evaporates rapidly rap-idly under most conditions, resulting in loss of weight and value. As soon as the newly-laid egg cools, an air-cell air-cell appears, which increases in size as the contents shrink from evaporation. evapora-tion. Shrunken eggs may be detected detect-ed by "candling," or by gently shaking shak-ing when held to the ear. When the "gurgle" of the contents is distinct, the egg is questionable. The membrane mem-brane of such eggs is often ruptured in handling and shipping, resulting in "frothy" eggs, of poor quality. In the summer, eggs should receive the same care and consideration as sweet milk and cream, and be marketed daily, if possible. They should not be exposed to draughts of warm air, r" j...., 1 . Have Only Uniform, Standard-Bred, Laying Stock. -.nd should be protected from the 'ays of the sun and moisture, in Uandling, marketing and shipping. Moisture is the niain cause of rot-.en rot-.en eggs. Nests on the ground or In wet straw, together with damp eel-Mrs eel-Mrs and moist "fillers" in egg cases, ire mainly responsible for this conation. con-ation. A fresh egg ' will absorb jdors as rapidly as fresh miik. Mustiness or moldy growth in egg-cises egg-cises or fillers will taint the egg and lower its quality. Eggs should not he stored in musty cellars, or in looms with fruit, vegetables or fish. The chickens should never be allowed allow-ed to drink filthy water, be fed musty I rain or strong-flavored vegetables, is onions and garlic, nor given access co decaying meat or substances that ivill flavor the product and impair its quality. |