The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-12-05
The Egg Product.


than all the gold or silver produced in the
world in the same year. These are few
of the interesting facts about the poultry
business that have been unearthed by one
of Secretary Wilson's experts in the De-
partment of Agriculture, says the Wash
ington correspondent of the ooklyn Eagle.
From the foregoing it will be seen that
the poultry industry is something worth
taking into consideration in calculating the
resources and riches of the country. Sec
rotary Wilson believes that large profits are
yet to be made by those who will take up
the business of producing chickens along
scientific methods He knows of a num-
Der of instances where men have gone into
the industry on small capital and by pay
ING careful attention to the work have made
comparatively large fortunes. The state
ment of the amount of money involved In
the industry is sufficient proof of the OPP
portunites it affords for yielding good re-
turns on investments. In order to furnish
more definite information about the poul
try business, Secretary Wilson recently di-
rected one of his men to get together
all the facts available regarding the sub
iect. The results of this inquiry present
some surprising facts. The figures are
largely based on the census returns of 1900,
but are supplemented by some investiga-
tions made by the Department of Agricul-
ture statisticians According to the latest
available tables, the value of all fowls on
farms is $50, 1874, 600. About SIS, 000,-
OOOis deducted from this sum to represent
the fowls under the age of three months, so
that the remainder embraces the stock that
is kept for breeding and laying.
The estimated number of chickens in the
country is $50, 100000, producing for
market in one year poultry worth $780,
600, 900 and eggs worth Sl44, 900, 900, a
total value of about $3.50, 600, 000 This
represents an income of 400 per cent, on
a similar investment.
This is not a matter of much astOnish
ment to one who is familiar with poultry
raising and has reckoned on the POSSIBLE
ties of the American hen. In seeking for
the causes of this situation one must not
overlook the great amount of work done by
the mechanical incubator which is not only
as fully successful as the hen, but does its
work on very large scale. The use Of
the incubator has made it the duty of the
hen to devote her whole time to the pro
duction of eggs.
THE FAITHFUL HEN.
How well the hens performed this duty
may be gathered from the statement that
in the last year for which statistics are avail
able |, 290, 900, 600 dozens Of eggs were
produced in the United States. This al
lows for the consumption of 203 eggs by
every man, woman and child in the coun
try during that year, and makes the value
of the eggs per capita Sl.99.
Except for the year 1900 the egg pro-
duct of the United States has exceeded in
value that of the combined gold and silver
output of the country for every year since
1850. The same statement is true of the
poultry product, save for the years 1899
and 1900. The surprise occasioned by
these figures is still further heightened
when it is known that the poultry and eggs
together produced in a single year are
worth more than either the gold or the
silver production of the world for any year
since the beginning of records, excepting
the two years of 1898 and 1899. Pursu-
ING the comparisons further, it is found
that the poultry and eggs of 1900 out val
ued the total exports Of animals and ami
NAL production during all years down to
and including 1900.
Il SIR butt ba Inc
of the wool produced here-which is a mat
ter of much concern in the commercial
world and over which many political bat
tie has been fought-is only about one
third that of the value Of the egg product,
and whoever heard of Il presidential cleo
ton that was fought on the issue of a duty
on eggs?
The poultry and egg products of the
United States in 1899 exceeded in value
the wheat crop of IS states and territories
There were produced on the farms of this
country in 1899, 200, 000, 600 dozen
eggs. This amounts to 43, 127. 900 crates
of 30 dozen each. An ordinary refrigera-
tor car, which has an average length of
about 42lJ5 feet, holds 400 crates All
this means that train of these cars sufi-
Gent to carry the product of 1899 would
be S6S miles long, or long enough to reach
from Chicago to Washington and have sew
eral miles to spare.
More eggs are eaten in the United States
every year than in any other country in
the world. Iowa is the banner state in
the matter of production, in 1900 furnish
ING SO, 900, 900 dozens, worth over $40,
600, 900. Ohio came second as to amount,
with 81, 900, 600 dozens, and, although
this quantity was smaller than the egg
product of Iowa, it was worth more, hav-
ing total value of $40, 299, 600. New
York is surpassed by half dozen states in
the matter of egg and poultry production.
The value of the poultry raised in New
York in 1900 was Sc, 161, 600 and the
value of the eggs produced there in the
same year was S4S, 63Q, 900.
Despite the enormity of the poultry bus
mess in this country, we annually buy
both chickens and eggs from foreign coun-
tries. Ten or ID years ago the value Of
the imports Of eggs was considerable,
amounting TO 9Z,ooO,uOO III 1871, out
since then the total has been steadily cut
down, as our farmers awakened to the pos
sibilities of the industry. Last year we
bought from foreign countries, principally
Canada, 3S4. 600 dozens of eggs, paying
for them S37, 400.
The exports of eggs and poultry are get
ting larger every year, and the foreign
field is constantly broadening. The great
majority of the fowls of this country are
found in comparatively small numbers on
very large number of farms where they
gather their own subsistence and receive
practically no care. The consequence is
that the eggs are produced at little cost.
The development of this industry to an ex-
4ont innrodihl,, l,rrror thnn II L. of tho rroc