The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-02-27
Eggs from the Old World.

1t will no doubt be news to very
many otherwise well-informed house,
wives that a by no means insignifi-
cant percentage of the eggs used in
America are not laid by American hens.
A World reporter who investigated
the subject was surprised to find to
what proportions the business of i'm
porting eggs from Eruope had grown.
While the United States is annually
sending more meat and larger quanti-
ties of ~breadstutf abroad, the increased
importation of eggs has been corre-
spondingly great. Since September
there has been received in New York
over a million and half dozen of eggs.
From present indications the importa-
tons ofthis year will be greatly in ex-
cess of that of any previous year.
The business was started some four
or five years ago. Eggs have long
been an export article of Denmark.
England's supply comes largely from
that country. But, from more init
mate commercial relations between
importers of that country and New
York export houses, the idea was con.
ceived of adding eggs to the other ar
ticles exchanged for American prod
ucts. The experiment was Fortunate
ly made when the demand in this
market was great and eggs command
ed high price. The importations for
the first year was not large and a ready
market was found. The prices real
lied were higher than those obtained
in England. Fol- this reason the num-
Der sent to New York was larger the
following year. The increase has n
nually been more marked. >
Not only Denmark, but Belgium.
Germany, Hungary, and even Poland
have contributed to the supply. Eggs
from Denmark. however, are held in
greatest favor and command the high
est price. They are received here
during the entire year, with the excep-
ton of the hot summer months. They
are imported, ordinarily, ten months
in the year, the great portion during
the period from October to the middle
Of March. The importations are
greatly affected by the weather. And
it is regarded as proof of the increased
trade that so large quantity has been
received while the wheather has been
unusually mild.
1t is said that the eggs prepared in
lime on the other side of the Atlantic
are superior to the s'limed'' eggs of
this country. Therefore the first i'm
portations of ''limed" eggs brought
within 8 to 5 cents of the price of fresh
domestics. Now the difference is
much greater. AS the Lenten season
approaches the prices are not very
wide apart. The supply of fresh eggs
is smaller and the demand greater.
European "limed'' eggs sell alongside
domestics, and in some instances the
former have the advantage in price,
This is in part due to the quality, but
mainly from the fact that those from
some foreign countries, especially
Denmark, are sorted and graded ac-
cording to size. This is not done in
America. The prices thus far have
ranged from 16 to % cents per dozen
at wholesale.
But it is not alone in 'tlimed" eggs
that importers deal. Large quantities
of fresh eggs come over during the
colder weather, and are brought into
sharp competition with the domestic
article. Eggs have been free of duty
| for many years. They were on the
/ free-list of the'47 tariff and remained
so on the 'S3 revision. The foreign
eggs are easily distinguished in the
wholesale trade, as they come packed
in cases of fifty dozen each, larger
than those in use in THE country.
But there is nothing to denote the
difference in the retail trade, 1t is
claimed that the European eggs are
used almost exclusively for cooking
purposes.-NeW York World.