Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-02-12
EGGS AND CHICKS.
Estimated Production Of CouIl-
tryfor Year 1900.
Ten Thousand Million Eggs Laid
During That Year.
Nearly Three Hundred Million Chick
ems Raised in Period. 91

According to the report of the Gen.
sus Bureau, based upon the report OF
1890 the eggs produced in this country
| in the year 1900 reached the stupend-
Gus figure of ten thousand million.
| The eggs of 1900 weighed more than
four times as much as our entire do
mestic produce of wool, three and
three quarter times as much as our
domestic product of cane sugar, more
than two times as much as the copper
output Of 1900. more than two and
| three quarter times as much as the tin
plates manufactured during the year
and thirty times as much as the
whole output of gold.
The value Of those eggs at the low
est market price was more than one
half the total income derived by the
United States in 1900 from the customs
revenue.
There are so many chickens in the
country that, if they were divided
equally among the population Qeaving
out Hawaiians), each human being in
the United States and the dependencies
would have to carry around with him
three chickens, or, to be exact, 3.72
chickens. And each human being would
NC cutltlSu W III, Ols ~ Oc cAdCl, 14l..
352 eggs year.
The estimate is that in 1900 the
United States contained in round num-
bers 2S4.OOO,O0O chickens and that the
total output of eggs was 10000, 600, 900.
The value of the eggs at Is cents a
dozen was $13S,00O.O0O in round num-
bers.
These round numbers are well under
the sums that are reached by close fig
uring. They are given because they
are not only modest, but easy to re-
member.
For the mathematical person who
loves to pore over figures it may be
interesting to know all the exact fig
ures.
The statistical sportsmen who have
been trailing the hen for the govern
ment will not be ready with their fig
ures for some months. But enough
have been obtained to give a reliable
basis for calculations. In the year 1890
the Department of Agriculture UNDER
took to estimate how many chickens
were then in the United States, and
arrived at a total of 25S,871,125. But
this. the experts were careful to say.
was far below the actual number and
represented only the number recorded
by the department. In the same year
the figures showed a total output Of
eggs laid and sold Of 819.722,916 dozens.
This again was 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 S,000,-
900 dozen eggs, while our exports were
hardly worth mentioning, being only
incidental, and not due to the fact we
had surplus, for we had none. Year
after year since then, however, we
have increased our exports and re-
duced our imports, until in the fiscal
year ending on June 30, 1900, we i'm
ported only 135.O3S dozen eggs and ex-
ported 5.s20,727 dozens.
Assuming that the increase in
chickens in the past ten years had kept
in pace with the population. we would
have 312, ,613 chickens in the coun-
try for 1900. On the basis. of the egg
exports. however. still allowing to each
chicken only the average of 37,998 eggs
a year, shown in the figures for 1890.
the total number of chickens in 1900
would Re only 2S3, 3,1s3.653. To be well
within the facts, it has been considered
safe to assume a mean figure of 2S3.-
e25 sos chickens for 1900. That this is
a very moderate estimate is shown by
all the statistics that have been stud
led. For instance, in 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 devot-
ing more study and time to the egg
producing qualities of chickens in the
past few years than they ever did be-
fore. 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 exclaim
that it is impossible for them to be
true, let him remember that the funda-
mental figures are all understated.
The egg output for the year. for in
stance, was figured entirely on the
basis of the increase in exports since
1890 and the decrease, amounting all
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 inn
port and export figures, we get the ap-
palling sum total Of s33.37S,532 dozens.
or 10000. .542, 1884 eggs laid in 1900 in the
United States.
The lowest export price reached in
| 1900 for American eggs was 1876 cents a
dozen And even at this minimum
price those eggs were worth $lss.34O,-
1851. eigt.
The population Of the United States
and dependencies. exclusive of Hawaii,
was 76.0S5, ,7s4 according to the last CEN
sus. Estimating the minimum of 1885,
$751; chickens and 10000. .542,3S4 eggs.
this would give each unit OF population
the proportion Of chickens and eggs
mentioned in the article.
| There were 1905 miles of railroad in
operation in 1899. and there are enough
| chickens to provide 1886 for every mile,
and there would be fifty thousand left
over. That would furnish more than
one each to sit on each Of the 37,245
locomotives owned and operated III tile
r.rstcd States in 1900 when they wore