Some of the workers sorted the eggs, putting the big ones in one box, the middle-sized ones in another, and the small ones in another. Other workers tested them to see whether they were fresh. The fresh eggs were sent to other workmen who stamped on each egg in red the word “Danish” with a red line around it.
Christian asked, “Why do you put ‘Danish’ on the eggs?”
The workman said, “Many of these eggs are sent away from Denmark to other countries. We put the word ‘Danish’ on the eggs so that people will know that the eggs come from Denmark. Then if they like the eggs, they will know where to send for more. If they find bad eggs, they can tell us.”
Then the workman showed Christian some sheets of paper on which he kept records. From those sheets he could tell just what farmer brought in each box of eggs. He said, “You see, Christian, we keep such good records and each farmer keeps such good records that if a customer gets a bad egg, we can find the very hen that laid that egg.”
Christian knew that the workman was only joking, but the workman did know the date when the egg was laid. Christian knew too that the farmers knew which hens lay many eggs, and which hens lay large eggs.
Christian learned to milk cows too. He could milk only a little, as his hands got tired. He milked only cows that were easy to milk. But he could carry buckets of milk to the house.
In the large stable where the cows are milked, Christian saw a sheet of heavy paper tacked up over each stall. He read what was on some of those papers. They were the cows’ grade cards. There were good grade cards too, for they told exactly what each cow can do—how much each eats, how much milk each gives, whether that test is better or worse than other tests.
Christian felt sorry when the farmer showed him one record. That record was for a cow that was eating a great deal, but giving milk that tested low in butter fat. The farmer said that he would have to fatten that cow and use it for meat.
Christian went with the farmer to take big cans of milk and cream to the cheese factory and the creamery. The factory was in an old, old town. Christian liked to play on the narrow street near the factory.