The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1909-02-10
EGGS BY WAGON LOADS.
Carted for Miles Like Bricks In a
Wagon, Few Are Broken In Transit.


Eggs by the wagon load, hauled for
many miles over rocky road, in al
most exactly the same manner as a
Western farmer transports his corn
crop. is the way the Ozark region poul.
try raiser gets his eggs to market. On
the streets Of West Plains, Mo-. which,
according to 'The st. Louis Republic"
has become great poultry and egg
market, as well as the centre of the ia
nous land of the big red apple and
Elberta peach, 1t is daily occurrence
to see wagon loads of eggs, many OF
them coming distance Of more than
so miles.
Filling wagon with eggs so that
they will ride without breaking is an
art that requires skill. The Ozark
Luckster and freighter has this down
TO nicely, and 1t is seldom that he
breaks more than two or three dozen
OF the big load in the long journey
over the mountains.
In loading wagon with eggs a
three-inch layer of straw Is placed In
the bottom of the wagon bed. Then
the eggs are carried out to the wagon
in buckets and small boxes. They are
poured on the straw without ceremony,
and the driver, with broad stroke OF
his hand, scattered them out in sim
gle layer. When the layer CT eggs is
complete another covering of straw is
put on and more eggs are put in the
wagon until the entire bed is piled
high. Then boards are put on top of
the load to hold it down. Usually the
huge pile is much higher than the top
of the wagon bed, and then 1t becomes
necessary for several persons to get on
the loads to bring them down to a level
with the top OF the wagon bed, and theJ
are nailed down.
A chain is wrapped around the mid
die of the wagon bed and on top of
the wagon Is put the drivers bedding
and grub box, and sometimes a big
bale of cotton. Eggs ride better this
way than If they were packed in cases
with strawboard filters. Frequently
the driver walks around on top of the
wagon without fear of doing damage,
and the jolting of the heavy load over
the hills of the Ozarks does not crack
many Of the eggs. One thousand doz-
en- is an average load, but many
freighters bring more than this num-
ber If the condition of the roads per-
init and the hens have been busy.
In shipping eggs to market the eggs
are first 'candled," process through
which they are put to find all the bad
ones, In order to comply with the ma
tonal pure food law. Then the eggs
are packed in cases and loaded in
refrigerator cars, bound for the East
ern markets. A single car contains
exactly 400 cases. Counting 80 dozen
of eggs to a case, car holds 10000
dozen, or $4,000 eggs. Estimated at
! present prices received in the East, a
car of eggs is worth s2500.
The Missouri hen as a revenue pro-
ducer Is far ahead Of the famous Mis-
souri, mule or even the COW. In the
Ozark region the poultry industry is
going to outrival fruit growing at the
present stride. According to the bu-
reau of labor statistics Missouri ship
ped more than s39,000,OO0 worth of
poultry and eggs in 1907, and this year
will show a big increase.
From actual experience, a farmers
wife, with one hundred chickens, will
net the tidy sum of s65 in six months
time from the sale of eggs alone. One
hundred pullets will produce on an
average G6 eggs day, or $50 dozen,
in the course of month. At 16 1-2
cents a dozen, the average price paid
In the markets, the gross revenue de-
rived from the hens is s156.56. Esti.
mating that II costs about s26 to feed
the flock, and counting two hours Ia
Dor each day at s45, the net profit is
s65.