The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-08-19
Where the Eggs Come From.

New York city consumes between
100000 and 100000 eggs a day. A
produce dealer who handles more eggs
than any other concern in the country,
informs the Herald that if the whole
surface of the state of New York were
covered with hens, they could not lay
enough eggs to supply New York city.
OF course New. Y ork state Yields many
eggs, but the larger cities of the inte-
rior, like Albany, Troy, Utica, Syracuse.
Auburn, Elmira, Rochester, and Buff
falo, use most of the eggs the New
York farmers produce. The same is
the case with Long Island. The local
residents consume the home supply.
New Jersey does not produce as many
eggs as its citizens consume at home.
Half dozen Western states supply the
bulk Of all the eggs which are consumed
in New York city. Indiana sends the
largest number. Next in the list are
Ohio, Michigan and Iowa. 1t is esli-
mated that Indiana is the largest egg
producing state in the country. Illinois
hens produce many eggs, but they
nearly all 90 to the Chicago market.
Heretofore Canada has shipped into
the United States hundreds of carloads
Of eggs. For the last three or four
years Canada has annually shipped
100000 worth Of eggs to this market.
The present duty on foreign eggs prom
ises practical prohibition against i'm
ports. Previous to the change in the
tariff considerable impOrtations of eggs
were made from Europe, commencing
three or four years ago. These
European eggs were gathered princi-
pally in Southern Germany and in Italy
and preserved. The dealers say that
picked eggs, while not good for poach-
ing, or boiling, because the shells are
brittle, yet are useful for many other
purposes. Commission men say that
eggs are handled at a smaller profit
than any other food product. The
shipper buys directly from the farmer
as rule. He has his wagons, which
drive from farmhouse to farmhouse at
stated intervals, collecting the eggs.
AT this season of the year the loss from
bad eggs is very small, and when
the shipper has carload he packs
the eggs in cases or barrels, and starts
them to New York. They are consigned
to commission dealer, who charges
five per cent on the sales. The cost of
bringing eggs from great distances is
less than one would think. The large
shipments reduce the cost of freight.
1t costs about three-quarters of cent
dozen more to bring eggs from Ohio
than from the vicinity of New York,
and only one and one-quarter cents a
dozen more to bring them from Iowa.
1t is generally the supply of eggs from
the Western States which fixes the price
in the East Eggs are highest and
scarcest from the first of December to
the middle of February. OF late years,
however, there have been liberal ship
ments, during these months, to New
York city from Missouri and Kansas.
reputation among dealers. There are
many carloads shipped in from Ten
nessee, Maryland and Virginia. Dur
ing March and April, eggs pour into
New York city from all directions. The
Indiana and Ohio shippers are particu-
larly active. Generally about the first
of April, eggs are shipped into New
York at the rate of four or five millions
day, and prices usually drop very fast.
The supply has not been so large as
usual this year, and prices have not
fallen as low as last year. Commission
men have to be pretty busy in handling
eggs in warm weather. Heat is the
eggs great enemy, and farmers are not
always as careful as they might be in
handling their eggs. Twenty-four
hours at certain temperature will
start the process of incubation and
spoil the egg. An egg which has been
kept for three weeks in an even tenn
perature of about thirty-six degrees is
much better, and apparently much
fresher than one which has passed a
few hours in a temperature of eighty
degrees.