Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1902-03-13
LANCASTER, WISCONSIN, THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1902.
EGGS ARE DOWN.
Hens Have Taken ON Their Spring Cam
ter and Prices Have Dropped.


There is a tradition in some Sec
tions of the country that along in the
eighties eggs were selling at sixty
cents a dozen-'.The black year,"
they called it, and no doubt to many
it was properly named. 1t was then
that the man with an ingenious turn
of mind said that he could produce
eggs by artificial means, but, like the
scheme of the man who was to create
beefsteaks by the aid of electricity,
his promise was fulfilled.
1t may be possible to produce a
chemical preparation enclosed in a
she'll resembling an egg which may
have something of the taste and no
doubt certain nourishment, but it
will never be an egg. Nature has
never suffered an infringement upon
it's rights in the way of counterfeits.
and the ingenuity of man is limited.
A short time ago during the event.
full period of eggs which we have
Just passed through, or, in modified
form, are still passing, eggs were for
ty cents a dozen and more. Liverpool
sets the price for grain but New York
sets the price for eggs. Recently
when jobbers were selling eggs at
thirty-seven cents the grocers were
demanding forty and forty-five cents
a dozen, and still the supply vas not
equal to the demand.
No one was s.c~ornering" the market
holding the eggs for a higher price.
1t was simply a question of scarcity.
The supplies in the cold storage ware
houses became exhausted and the
famine set in. The snow storms
prevented the hens from scratching
for a living and man was consequence
ly left to scratch along as best he
could. He did it with language
marked by points of exclamation.
About one-eighth Of q million cases
of eggs, having thirty dozen to the
case are stored in Kansas City every
year and about 900, 900 cases in Chi
cago. These are kept for winter use.
Eggs are bought for storage in April,
May and June and should the weather
be cool enough July eggs may also be
used for that purpose. This supply
remains in cold storage until Novem-
Io~ no.o lo, ryho,t - 80 0ffo,od
for sale.
The weather was so warm in July
last year that the eggs then laid could
not be used for daily consumption
inc SO the supply in the cold storage
rooms was resorted to, and that which
was intended for winter use was les
sened. Then last spring eggs were
high-higher than usual-and most
of those that found their way to the
cold storage rooms cost twelve OF ff-
teen cents a dozen. The owners sold
them at a small profit being afraid TO
hold them any longer, as a milder
spring might set in, they feared, and
the hens would increase the supply.
The result of all this was that by
the first of January the storage
houses were nearly exhausted, the
hen could not follow her scratching
instincts, the source of supply was
cut off, the law of supply and demand
went into force and high prices stared
che people in the face to such an ex-
tent that only millionaires could ex-
pect to live in comfort.
Since the hen has assumed activity
owing to this warm and balmy March
weather the fruit of her industry has
dropped to Is cents per dozen and by
the time Easter comes. around they
will not bring more than 10 or IL
cents per dozen.