Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-31

ance of the correct methods of caring for
them. Under our present system the in
dividual farmer and the individual store
keeper have no inducements for exercis-
ing greater care and are not held account
able for carelessness or even actual dis
honesty. The storekeeper who receives
eggs in exchange for merchandise reckonS
his profits on the goods rather than on
the eggs. and knows that he can dispose
of the eggs at the market price whether
they are good or bad. Therefore he does
not encourage the farmers to improve the
quality of their eggs and. by the advan-
tsge of his peculiar position. keeps other
buyers from doing so. Thus. Mr.. Hast
ings argues, the present method Is n
false basis and is detrimental to the
progress of the NEST important branches
of agriculture.
The remedy. lac thinks, is to be found in
cooperation. The farmers should organ
ize to control the egg market and To COM
pei buyers To establish agencies where
eggs can be sold at prices regulated ac-
cording TO their quality. At present the
best eggs are in demand at premium.
ranging from l TO cents to double
the ordinary market price. In the large
cities soda fountains clubs hieh-ctass
hotels and many private families will pay
as nigh as - cents a dozen for the best
quality. out the farmer who has shipped
them derives no advantage. and the profit
goes directly to the retailer Under the
present system all grades-good bad and
Misunderstanding the same price at the
country stores. and therefore is practi-
cally premium upon carelessne>s
Estimate of Cost.
Mr.. Hastings gives us an idea of the
items that make up the cost of a dozen
OF eggs. Assuming that they sell for -,
cents in a New York grocery, the money
is divided as follows:
The farmer gets IL cents; the country
merchant three-fourths of I cent: freight
To New York, liz cents: profit of com
mission man. u cent: profit OF jobber j..
cents: loss from spelling and breakage
= cents: profit of retailer 4 cents
The revenue of the farming community
from the poultry yards could be incre as
ed without any advance in the cost of
eggs to the consumer; the quality OF the
product could be improved If new and
more buSnesslike methods were adopted
i'm the trade. The egg from well kept
flock should in some way be distinguisn 4
ed from the product OF ordinary Scrub
hens for the benefit of both the producer
and the consumer. The farmer who
takes pains to produce good article
ought 10 be rewarded. while the consum-
er who pays a high price ought TO re-
ceive the full value of his money.
The great bulk of the poultry wealth
of this country is produced by the gen
eral farms in the Mississippi valley.
Some idea of the rapid growth Of the in
dustry may be obtained from the figures
frmo Kansas. where exclusive poultry
/! farms. such as are found in the eastern
states, are practically unknown. The
value OF poultry and eggs sold i'm Kansas
In l@o was S6.49S.SJ6. and this total in
creased at the rate of $l.OO0OGO a year
until 1907. when it reached the enormous
sum of sl0.30O.OS2 for that state alone
No later figures are given. hut the in
/ crease since was undoubtedly equal TO
/ that or other years hence the revenue
! from the Kansas henhOuses was proba-
4 bly, Sl2.Nn,WO or more for the current
year. There has been corresponding in