Eggs freshly laid will re tain their fine qualities for several days if kept in a cool place. The nearer this temper ature approaches 40° F. the better, for eggs which have been fertilized develop a. certain amount of internal heat due to the vital proc esses which are beginning, and a low tempera ture is necessary to halt these changes. For this reason unfertilized eggs, if they can be had, are much easier to keep in perfect condition. Where eggs are to be preserved for long periods cold storage offers the most effective method, but beyond a certain limit — from five to six weeks at the longest — the fresh flavor cannot be retained. In ordinary household preserving the customary methods are in the line of filling up the pores of the shell in such a way that bacteria-laden air cannot enter and set up fer mentations. They are usually rubbed over with butter, lard, gum-water, etc., or, which is still better, they are placed in layers, small end down, in very dry ashes or fine dry salt, packed in tubs and boxes and put in a dry, cool place, protected from severe cold in winter. A slightly more expensive but a highly recommended plan is to dip the eggs into a solution of silicate of soda, or "water glass," allowing them to drain until dry, before packing in salt. If the dipping is thoroughly done, the salt packing may be dis pensed with. An alternate method is to pack the eggs closely in an earthen jar or crock and pour over them the silicate solution, allowing them to remain in the solution until used. The proportion in which the solution is made up is one part of the "water glass" as obtained from the druggist to 10 parts of water for the dipping process or to 12 parts of water where the eggs are kept in the solution.
It is estimated that the losses in marketing eggs in the United States amount to not less than $50,000,000 a year. This enor mous loss is nearly all due to carelessness in the first handling—that by the producer. In a lot of 706,000 eggs bought recently in Kansas, more than 66,000 eggs were what are called in the egg trade "rots"; that is, they were bad when sold by the farmer — carelessly gathered, perhaps from long abandoned nests, or im properly kept after gathering, or kept too long before selling. Further losses on this one pur chase of eggs, mostly through thin shells, which broke in transport, brought the total loss up to 14.3 per cent of the amount paid for the lot. Obviously nine-tenths of this loss could have been avoided with proper care. Such experi ences have led to the establishment of a trade rule among merchants who buy eggs in quan tities for shipment that they are to be paid for "loss off"; meaning that no eggs which come under the classifications of "rots," "spots," "blood rings," or "leakers,"—terms which ex plain themselves — shall be paid for. This rule, where enforced, has already operated to reduce materially the number of bad eggs in consigned shipments.
The considerably larger price commanded by really fresh-laid eggs in most markets has stim ulated marketing in several channels outside of the regular commercial routine. One of the most successful of these plans has been the marketing through creameries. The farmer who delivers milk or cream daily or semi-weekly, as the case may be, may without any extra labor deliver the surplus eggs raised on his farm within a day or so of their laying. The cream
ery, gathering from many farms, can ship daily an egg product of the highest market value. The cost of such handling in connection with the regular business of the creamery has been proved to be not above one cent per dozen eggs shipped. In other localities where creameries do not exist, associations known as "Community Egg Circles" have been formed especially for this co-operative shipping of strictly fresh eggs, bringing their members from five to eight cents per dozen above the current prices for ordinary trade eggs.
Another avenue open to the individual pro ducer is the parcel post. Eggs packed in con tainers approved by the Post Office Department can be sent direct to the individual consumer and the highest prices realized. Some of these approved containers are substantial, and may be returned empty at a nominal cost and so used many times, distributing their first cost over several shipments. However, the special pack age need not be used if the eggs are securely packed with excelsior, or other similar material, in strong baskets or boxes.
Eggs are also marketed in bulk after being broken, either in the liquid form or in a powder after drying. These methods are in use where very large supplies of eggs are produced at a long distance from the point where they can be sold at a reasonable profit, and where the prob ability is that they would suffer a serious loss through breakage during transport. In the preparation of eggs for this method of mar keting the utmost care must be taken that they are not contaminated by any dirt in the process of breaking. When the cans are full they are frozen, and in this condition are transported and delivered to the consumer—generally some large wholesale cake-baking establishment. In some instances borax is added to the liquid eggs as a preservative, but this is highly objec tionable where they are to be used as food. These liquid eggs are also used in certain leather dressing processes. The drying and powdering of eggs is done by forcing the liquid eggs through tiny apertures in a plate into a drying chamber at such temperature that the egg spray is dried to the condition of meal be fore it reaches the collecting tray at the bottom.
The cooking of eggs has the effect of rendering their valuable proteins more or less indigestible, according to the degree of the cooking. While this is largely a matter of indifference to the person in good health, it is often of some importance to an invalid or con valescent. In the latter event the less cooking the better. Many times the egg is simply beaten up, perhaps with the addition of wine, and eaten raw. Another approved method of pre parin eggs for persons of delicate digestion is to "jelly" elly" them by pouring a quart of boiling water upon an egg or two and letting the vessel stand on the back of the stove where it will keep hot but not boil. In about 10 minutes the egg will be turned into a soft semi-transparent jelly, in which condition all its protein is readily assimilable.