The Portland daily press., 1883-07-30
erahma Eggs in Quincy Marker

RAISING through BoSton's famous market,
last Monday, we CHANGED to see at the but
ter and egg stall of well-known dealer a
display of unusual excellence of fine, large
dark colored eggs of very even size along
side of liberal supplies of white eggs of vari-
GUS shapes and kinds.
"Have you such a demand for Brahma
eggs that induces you to separate them
from other varieties?' we asked of the
dealer.
''Oh yes; many of our best customers will
buy no other eggs but the Brahmas, if OBJ
tainabe at any reasonable price. A single
frst-class restaurant in this city sometimes
buys of us ninety dozen a day of these dark
colored eggs. All our leading hotels, clubs
and many private families arrange for a sup
ply of them, paying us at the present time
thirty-fve cents per dozen, when we could
supply common fresh eggs at eight to ten
cents per dozen less"
lis there any noticeable difference in the
eggs Of the light or dark Brahmas?''
mo, except that have found, as a rule,
the product of the light Brahmas to be the
heaviest in the market. Eggs of these full
blooded Brahmas are very dark colored.
Any crossing with inferior birds gives lighter
colored eggs, in some instances bordering
strongly on the white.'
Many persons claim that AN egg is an
egg,' and that 1t is all nonsense to claim SUI
periority for Brahma egg over leghorn or
dung-hill. Do you think the preference for
Brahmas is merely matter of fancy or
founded on increased worth?'
For upwards quarter of century in
this very stall | have kept large quantities of
eggs on sale, and during that whole time
have always kept my stock of Brahma
eggs separate from the product of other
breeds, and have never had any surplus of
the former. True, my sales of Brahma eggs
f<Rrf rrrfarx %Irrow It.~.sk
dozen week, where now | sell thousands
of dozens in the same time, and coald in
crease the deliveries if could secure still
larger supplies of fresh Brahma eggs. Some
OF our best caterers assert that Brahma eggs,
dozen for dozen, are worth fifty to 100 per
cent. more in all branches of cooking than
the leghorn or dung-hill kinds. They are
richer, heavier, larger and more effective.
Do you suppose our shrewdest hotel men
and keepers of eating houses would step up
and pay me thirty-ive cents per dozen today
for fresh Brahma eggs when other kinds of
fresh eggs are on sale at twenty-four to
twenty-elght cents, if they did not believe
they were getting value received? Such
people made study of their business and
know where and how to economic, bat they
never buy cheap eggs when the best are on
sale."
t'How does the leghorn egg compare in
value anu OCludIO Will tLb
"As market egg, for sale to my custom
ers. the Leghorn is verv far behind the
Brahma, and is even less desirable than
fresh lots of dung-hil specimens. Let me
take cracked egg or two and show you
practical illustration. The white of the
Leghorn egg is weak, thin and watery, it
will not hold together; while The white of
the Brahma egg is of that strength aud con-
sistency that it will form rope or band six
oh 1Nxxrr 1NG~ "a
fried Brahma eggs will make better and
more hearty meal than three or four Leg
horns. The latter are of medium size.
though the breed is prolific in number of
eggs"
'What price are You paying for such eggs
as these todsy?
For these pure, dark colored Brahma
eggs am paying thirty to thirty-two cents
per dozen. To breeder, who has hundreds
of Brahma fowls, offered this very day
thirty-two cents per dozen and take his en-
tire product. i am paying twenty-four cents
for these fresh Leghorn Eggs, and, in fact,
the same for fresh lots of dung-hiil varieties.
l only deal in nearby fresh lots Of eggs,
exclusively for the best city and hotel trrde''
"At such prices and with steady demand
egg production must be remunerative
branch of farm economy, is il not?'
Nothing pays better for the care and cap
IIdi lnfcsbeu, Dub bHe margin OF prOUtS is
much larger with the Brahmas than with any
other fowl, and 1 cannot see why farmers
do not better appreciate their opportunities
in this direction. 1t ALWAYS pays to pro-
duce the best, whether it be in eggs or but
ter of cheese"
"Where is your supply of fresh Brahma
eggs produced"
Mostly in eastern Massachusetts, Ply
mouth and Norfolk counties largely, though
/ am now having large consignments from
New Hampshire parties, who are making
regular business of egg production, and
keeping hundreds of fowls in detached fam
lilies about their farms. If kept warm and
properly fed Brahma hens will lay more eggs
during the Winter season than any other
oreed. Then fancy prices are realized. OF
course there are couple Of months in the
Spring when there is such an abundant sup
ply OF eggs that prices are generally lowered,
though less Oh the Brahma egg than anv
other"
"Why is 1t that your stock of eggs has an
clearly an appearance? Have they been
washedr'
sit is the aim Of expert poultry fanciers to
market their eggs in neat and clean condi-
ton. No experienced dealer washes even
dirty she'll in water. Such a washing
makes the appearance still worse. The dirty
shells of eggs can only be made acceptable
to the eye by wiping each specimen with a
cloth wet in vinegar of diluted strength"
Agricultural Notes.