Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-06-19
EGGS FROM FOREIGN LANDS.
Many thousand Dozenx Imported
Yearly from Europe.
From the New York Times,

From the New York Times
Two hundred thousand dozen eggs have been
received at this port from Europe during the
past nine months. The importatons have
ceased until the middle Of September, when
they will be resumed. The home supply is so
large during the summer months and the risk
on imported eggs so great that for the ensuing
three months none will be brought from the
other side to place on the market here There
are only two houses here that import eggs The
firm Of John c. Mahr i Sons, at Washington
and Reade streets began receiving three years
ago, and the consignments to it have steadily
increased. The head of the house said yester-
day that the eggs that came TO this country
were shipped from Germany and Denmark prin-
cipa!ly, and also from France. Italy and Turkey
were two great egC-prOducing countries but
the shipments TO the United states were not
made from them. The eggs came packed in
straw in long cases containing 100 dozen each.
The only difference between imported eggs and
those produced in this country was that the
former were somewhat smaller and the shells
perhaps trife harder. The eggs were con-
signed on commission, aud the market here
Fixed their price They were sold at from / to
cents less per dozen than domestic eggs. The
lower price was on account of the size. and not
because they We're inferior in quality, for such
was not the case,
At this season Of the year. the dealer con.
tlnued. eggs were received fresh. During the
winter they came lined. That is they were
subjected to sort Of picking process in lime
water. The effect was to close the pores of the
shells, 80 that when boiled thev were apt to
break but not tenure the contents. Coming
from colder countries. the eggs kept better than
those laid here. This was true Of those brought
from Canada, and many were shipped from the
Dominion to the United States. The largest
reproducing states Of the Union were Ohio.
Indiana, and Iowa The breakage on imported
eggs was less than on those that came from the
west. They were transported by water and
were subjected to much violence. The impor-
tations had the effect of lowering prices here.
1t was when prices were high that the great
pront was made on imported eggs. A large
sale had been found for the eggs in Connecticut
and Massachusetts,. Whether retail dealers
told their customers that they were buying i'm
ported eggs the speaker could not say but he
saw no reason why any discrimination should
be made. The dealer that shipped to his firm
began sending to London drst- The surplus Of
81. ply intended for that market was sent to
this country, thus introducing the eggs here.
The outlook for the trade In the fall and winter
was good.
member Of another house in the general
produce trade said that In time eggs would
doubtless be sent from China to San Francisco
Poultry raising was an extensive industry Ia
China Eggs would keep as long as six or eight
months, although that was, Of course too long
and there were no difficulties about Transports
tion In the way. The cheapness with which
eggs could be produced in China made such q
thing possible. Fowls were kept on the boats
on the rivers and In fact, everywhere. Enough
eggs could be sent from China to supply the
whole United States.