(3) The spot rot.  In this the bacterial growth has not contaminated the whole egg, but has remained near the point of entrance.  Such eggs are readily picked out with the candle, and when broken open show lumpy adhesions on the inside of the shell.  These lumps are of various colors and appearances.  It is probable that these spots are caused as much by mold as by bacteria, but for practical purposes the distinction is immaterial.

In practice it is impossible to separate rotten from heated eggs for the reason that in the typical nest of spoiled eggs found around the farm, both causes have been at work.  Dead chicks will not necessarily cause the eggs to decay, but many such eggs do become contaminated by bacteria before they reach the candler, and hence, as a physician would say, show complications.

The loss of eggs that are actually rotten is not as great as one might imagine.  Perhaps one or two per cent. of the country’s egg crop actually rot, but the expenses of the candling necessitated, and the lowering of value of eggs that contain even a few rotten specimens are severe losses.

Moldy or musty eggs are caused by accidentally wet cases or damp cellars and ice houses.  The moldy egg is most frequently a spot rot.  In the musty egg proper the meat is free from foreign organisms, but has been tainted by the odor of mold growth upon the shell or packing materials.

The absorption of odors is the most baffling of all causes of bad eggs.  Here the candler, so expert in other points, is usually helpless.  Eggs, by storage in old musty cellars, or in rooms, with lemons, onions and cheese, may become so badly flavored as to be seriously objected to by a fancy trade, and yet there is no means of detecting the trouble without destroying the egg.  Such eggs occur most frequently among the held stock of the fall season.

The Loss Due to Carelessness.

The egg crop of the country, more than ninety-five per cent, of which originates on the general farm, is subject to immense waste due to ignorant and careless handling.  The great mass of eggs for sale in our large cities possess to a greater or less degree the faults we have discussed.

Some idea of the loss due to the present shiftless method of handling eggs, may be obtained by a comparison of the actual average prices received for all eggs sold in New York City, and the wholesale prices quoted by a prominent New York firm dealing in high grade goods.  The contrasted price for the year 1907 are as follows: 

Prices at which total goods      Wholesale prices for strictly
moved.                         fresh eggs.

January                25.8     January                     42. 
February               24.5     February                    40. 
March                  19.3     March                       32. 
April                  16.9     April                       30. 
May                    16.6     May                         31.