The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1873-03-07
NO. 43.
gNisrellaneplls.
THE EGG BUSINESS.

THE EGG BUSINESS.
There sre very few of tie residents
!, OF the City of New York, and per.
haps fewer farmers in the country.
, but will be surprised to learn that in
1872 more thsn 2S,000,000 dozen
eggs were consumed in this CITY
alone The records state that 2S.-
36O,4 dozen were received, but
d this does not fully represent the
e quantity consumed ; this vast amount
: has increased from about 20,000,OOO
dozen in 1870. The amount of
Il money paid for these eggs at whole
sale was, In 1870, 81, ,928,9l9 so; in
. 1872, Sc, 1922, $50 81. Put at least
: twenty five per cent. on this amount
4 and We have what the inhabitants of
y New York City pay for this necessity
of cooking and nourishing article of
: food. We venture the assertion that
: not one person in ahundred in either
city or country had the least idea
that the sum came near this great
/, amount. Another fact is thst with
the vastly increased demand and
supply the price per dozen has been
|. lowered, the ayersge price OF 1870
being twenty six and half cents per
dozen. The correspondent OF the
Poultry BalletiD, from whose tsbles
We ccndense these facts, neglects to
state that with the progress of con
sumption and supply there has also
been a great Improvement in the
article supplied. There has been of
late years a marked and rapid in
crease in the size and quality of the
eggs brought to market. The in
crease of siZeis due to otheintroduction
CT improved breeds, the better quail
ty and flavor to the greater attention
paid to the food of the poultry. To
such an extent has the standard of
size increased that whether there be
any increased advantage to the pre-
ducer, the retail dealer does not fail |
to avail himself OF it, by selling such |
eggs by weight, or at vastly increas
ed price per dozen. 1t is claimed by
some that the meat of the eggs of |
the Brahms, LeghOrn, or other of
the large improved breeds, is not so
rich or SO finely favored as that of
the small eggs from the old fowls,
but however that may be in chemical
fac., but few OF consumers will be
disposed to exchange the large egg
for one of half its size.
For some time past in our columns
the profit on eggs AID poultry has
bas been discussed, and some results
told which are worthy of being care
fully noted. If profit OF 81, for
every hen kept, can be made, it is
certainly a business which any far
mer's wife or daughter might engage
in in q small way, and thereby add
very materially to the income of the
farm. This course is the true one
for the production of eggs and
chickens We have serious doubts
as to the success of business which
looks TO them as the Chief or only
source. of income. We hear now
that a gentleman calling himself
an experienced poulterer, from En-
gland, proposes to buy 100 acres OF
land on Long Island, on which to
produce eggs and chickens for mark
ct, snd, If the statement that he pro-
poses to allot only four square feet
of ground to each chicken is true, we
assume, in advance, thst his failure
Is certain. We DO not propose to
discuss poultry-breeding, but chick
ems to be profitable require at least a
good clean range, plenty of sir and
light, and, if well fed, will never dis i
turb growing plants further than to
pick therefrom the insects, which the {
craving for nitrogenous matter com
pels them 70 have. The feeding OF !
pork scraps and meat simply take ,
the place of the insects which Nature ,
provides, and which they gather in o
wide range. +
The demand for eggs in the New
York market is not likely to de- :
crease. Science has not yet found !
any substitute FOR the 'albuminous :
white, and the consuming thousands !
are yearly growing greater, and with {
them those who by acts prove that I
they believe the egg contains more d
human food in more a
q more condensed, and g r
cheaper form than any other. Then =
il is for the farmer 10 supply this de- !,
mand at profit to himself and alec '
to the satisfaction OF the consumer. Z
He can do both by constant eBdeavor >
to produce better article, and this
better article is to be produced, first,
BY always feeding some grain to his =
by giving them some sue
culent green grass, by giving them
bits OF meat, by mixing with their =
food small bits of bone, by providing =
for them warm and clean house room :
and nests. It is as much principle
Of farming as of any ther business y
nothing spent nothing male. The !
farmer who has lot OF NANCY, lousy !;
chickens, whose only hOuse is under
the barn floor, or in some old dry
goods box, whose only hope for nj :
trogenous food is to pick among the
COW dung, who only get phosphate !
of lime by eating each others feath-
ers or egg-shells, need never expect /.
to derive any profit from them. He
gives them nothing and they return
him only few eggs, Of poor quality.
He complains they rob his garden I
and pull up his plants, while the poor /;
creatures ere simply following the
dictates OF nature in digging for :
worms. He makes his chickens the
Arabs Of his stock, and then com !
plsins at their getting from the sour /.
ces instinct dictates the food which
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