The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-01-27

ment In the same year the figures
showed a total output of eggs laid and
sold of s19, 1872 .916 dozens. This again
was a low estimate and did not include
the eggs consumed without reaching
market at all.
But in 1890, with all this enormous
output. we imported more than 5000
900 dozen eggs, while our exports were
hardly worth mentioning, being only
incidental, and not due to the fact
that We had a surplus, for we &ad
none. Year after year since theN,
however, we have increased our eX-
ports and reduced our imports, until
in the fiscal year ending on June 80,
1900, we imported only 135, 03S dozen
eggs and exported $500, 727 dozens.
Assuming that the increase in chick
ems in the past ten years had kept in
pace with the population, we would
have 312. 712,613 chickens in the coun-
try for 1890 On the basis of the egg
exports, however, still allowing to each
chicken only the average of 81, 1898 eggs
a year, shown in the figures for 1890.
the total number of chickens I'm 1900
would be only 263, 1888, 653. To be well
within the facts, ii has been considered
safe to assume a mean figure of 283,-
635, sos chickens for 1900. That this is
a very moderate estimate is shown by
all the statistics that have been stud
led. For instance, assuming that the
average annual number of eggs has
not been increased largely since 1890,
there is probably an understatement
of fact, for. the farmers have been
devotIng more study and time to the
egg producing qualities of chickens in
the past few years than they ever did
before Again, no allowance has been
made for the known increase in hatch
cries and the natural ratio of increase
in production of fowls.
If the reader, when confronted by
the amazing facts here given, should
be impelled in bewilderment to ex
claim that it is impossible for them to
be true let him remember that the
fundamental figures are all understood
The egg output for the year, for
instance, was figured entirely on the
basis of the increase in exports since
1890 and the decrease, amounting al
most to cessation, in imports. There
was, in the same period. a natural
great increase in domestic consump-
ton. This has not been figured at all,
because the census figures reports are
not prepared yet, and consequently any
estimate of it would be guess work.
Yet, based merely on the import and
export figures, we get the appalling
sum total of 1873, 1858 dozens, or TO-
States.
The lowest export price reached in
1900 for American eggs was 1866 cents
a dozen. And even at this minimum
price those eggs were worth $13S, 340,-
1851.
The population of the United States
and dependencies, exclusive of Hawaii,
was 76,085,794 according to the last
census. Estimating the minimum of
2S3, 635, SOS chickens and 10, 000 542, 1884
eggs, this would give each unit of pop
ulation the proportion of chickens and
eggs mentioned in the article.
There were 190,S33 miles of railroad
in operation in 1890, and there are
enough chickens to provide i ,4S6 for
every mile, and there would be $4,000
left over. That would furnish more
than one each to sit on each of the 81
245 locomotives owned and operated in
the United States in 1892 when they
were last tabulated.
In calculating the aggregate weight
of the hen population, an average
weight of 6is pounds each was adopted.
The average weights of the various
breeds in the country are: Wynadotte,
6a pounds; Plymouth Rock IA
pounds; Jersey Blues. pounds: Brah-
mas, 9k pounds; Cochins, S1s pounds;
Minorcas. 61s pounds Hamburgs, 615
pounds. The Brahmas and Plymouth
Rocks are the more plentiful, being
the most profitable. This makes the
aggregate weight of the chickens of
the United States 921,715 tons.
Hens eggs vary in weight from five
to a pound to ten to a pound. Minorca
eggs average the maximum. Wyna-
dotte and Brahma eggs average seven
and eight to the pound. Eight to the
Mound iG fhn a cf 80 q
given here. thus again keeping well
under the possible amount This makes
the total weight of the eggs laid in
1900 625033 tons.
In comparing the weight of the eggs
or 1900 with the navy. the following
figures will be of interest: The total
tonnage of the first-class battIeships
Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kear-
sarge, Kentucky, Maine, Massachu-
setts, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon. Wiscon-
sin; the second-class battlship Texas:
the armored cruisers Brooklyn and
New York, and all the unarmored cruis
ers is 1884 tons. Including all other
vessels the total displacement by tom
mage is less than $50 900 tons, allowing
the extreme figures for all vessels and
taking in even the older ships.
The tons used in calculation are
short tons (20O0) pounds.
lie tOHlldSe LOT lJUU OF all the mer-
chant marine of the United States, TAX
ing in coasting vessels, the craft of
the Great Lakes and fishing vessels,
was 5.164.S39 tons. The total tonnage
built in 1900 was 393790 tons.
The figures used in estimating the
sizes of the chickens were "a inches
from feet to top of the head. Brahma
hens are expected by the poultry show
standards to measure 26 inches. other
figures used in the comparisons are:
Total customs revenue $233, 164, S71;
specie, national banks, 1878, 90 90: ex-
penses of War Department for 1900
s1S7 1923; postal revnue, $102, 354,579 /;
Bourbon and rye whskey in the coun-
try, 3S,70S,S97 gallons; total distilled
spirits, 1O9, 1877 gallons, expenses of
coast and Geodetic Survey. 1928, 1856;
steamboat inspection, s3l6,141: Marine
Hospital service. 1882, 496: forts and
Notifications. $50. 1888; Bureau of Labor
$lIS.Ol0; Department of Justice, 1896. :
1888; domestic produce of wool, 144,31s
tons; cane sugar. 167, 297 tons: copper
2s2.67l tons; tinplates, 2SS, 49l tons; gold
20,623 tons.