The Washington herald., 1909-05-12

Greds nos being able 10 afford eggs II
Is predicted by expert authorities that
the early crop VIII he short because far
seeing packers. anticipating q later price
OF - cents a dozen. and encouraged by
last seasons good prices. are beginning
% store eggs
Few products have increased so rap
i1Iy in value as have eggs Where the 1900
census showed a poultry and egg valuation
OF something under S30.o00o00 the latest
census OF the Bureau OF Animal Indus
try Of the national Department Of Asri-
culture shows that this valuation has
reached S510G03.00o OF this Kansas alone
produced Sl0.0G1. .0o6 worth. The price in
that time has gone from 11l-3 cents 10
IS 10 cents Eggs furnish over per cent
Of the total food Of the populace. and
with every tuberculosis patient encoUr-
aged to take al least a dozen a day. and
every soda fountain liking egg drinks
FOR every twentieth customer. the demand
Tor eggs VIII doubtless increase 20 a phe-
nOmenal degree this year. Chemists
show that Il takes a pound and a quarter
OF beef. worth at least y cents, 10 equal
In nutrition FIVE eggs. worth 70 cents.
On this basis the housewife often PAYS
two and a half times as much for a meal
as she might 81 she understood better the
values Of food.
According 70 the best authorities. care
Of poultry for egg producing IS a most
remunerativ5 occupation and the p-i1ci-
Pal requisite on the part Of the person
who launches the enterprise IS good com
mon sense The average annual produc-
tiOn Of eggs In the United states is only
siXty-five eggs 90 each hen, though enter
prising Maine hens have raised the aver
age for their state 10 1e2 II the poultry
standard Is raised among the farmers. By
means Cf study. the reading Of literature,
or the attendance OF lectures on the sub
Ject there is no reason. according 10 ex-
pertS. why the American hen may not
be brought 70 lay go eggs a year. and
eggs OF a large size and good quality
PulleJs are the best layers and all egg
layers should De killed when three and a
balf years old 10 make room for younger
and better ones. Massachusetts, Is trying
% set the legislature OF that state 10
appropriate a sum Of money for educa-
tional wcrk among poultry and egg
ralsers, Just as Iowa has done for dairy
workers, S1eo3) having been appropriated
for this purpose in that State
That the breed can be improved IS
noted from the fact that eggs from the
poorest Southern farms. chiefly from
games and Hambu-gs. weigh only nine
teen and one-ffth ounces per dozen; form
the poor strains Of Leghorns that con
stitute the chief poultry population Of the
Tennessee and Texas farmyards. the eggs
ss-efc-I
Iowa sends eggs from the pure bred farm
focks that weigh twerty-fOur ounces TO
the dozen Selected brands OF imported
Danish eggs-and the United States i'm
ports largely from Denmark-weigb a
fraction under twenty-niHe ounces TO the
dozen.
II IS in Denmark that the ideal method
Of collecting and shipping eggs il. found
There are 23o13 or more farmers en-
rolled in the Danish Egg Association.
and eggs are collected on the farms
every day or three times a week. Eggs
from each farm are marked wi-h letters
and numbers. so the goods OF each con
signOr IS known al a glance The eggs
are ''candled. or examined. under 2
strong light 10 test their quality. II one
bad egg is found IN farmers consign-
ment, he IS fined for the first cffense.
and for the second offense in one year
he Is expelled from the association. and
must thereafter get his eggs on the mar
ket through his own efforts.
IN the United Kingdom ike efforts have
been made 10 protect the public II the
matter Cf egg buying, and al the sans
rirle allow the producer 10 get good value
Tor the shipments Over thirty branches
so that eggs may be collected when fresh
ani shipped a. ouce- Compare this with
the general method Of the American
farmer. As a rule. eggs on the average
farm arc collected at uncertain intervals.
some from nests where hens have been
sitting. and these are then traded at the
the small farmer needs The country
merchant takes his chances with the
eggs. rather than lose n customer. and
then ships The lot at q small price 20
large c5ty factory There candiing Is
generally resOrted 10 IN order that goo1
eggs may BE placed on the market but
very generally the signs or Tie cases
might be made 70 read, as II the Bowery
not long ago. Strictly fresh eggs. %
Fresh eggs" "Eggs."
The regular egg farm IN the United
States arG Canada has taken many steps
already 10 preserve its integrity, but has
70 compete with the poor farm pT2duc3
in the States where pure food laws have
10 say IN the matter. Special
packing boxes are used by many OF these
farms, boxes that hold. each. a dozen
eggs. and that are sealed and stamped
with the name OF the shipper and the
date on the seal This guarantees fresh
ness. number OF small egg farmers
have way Of writing OF each egg. as
It IS collected, the date 1t is laid and
the breed OF the hen that laid It. a use
fuI device If buyers for the gigantic cen
tral incubators happen 10 be canvassing
that particular locality fo- eggs.
Within fifty miles OF san Francisco Is
The country's banner egg center. Petalu-
ma. in SonomO County. Cal Sew