Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1909-04-16
THE EGG TRADE OF THEsUNI-
TED STATES

THE EGG TRADE OF THE UNI
!. TED STATES
Washington, ID g, April Z, 1909.
The Bureau of Animal Industry
Iof the Depar tment Of Agri culture
has just issued a circular by Milo.
Hastings presenting the results of
a study made during the past year,
of the condition surrounding the
prod and marketing of eggs.
1 with a view to determining the
causes of deterioration in quality
and consequent loss. 1T appears
4 that there is an enormous loss due
to the spelling of eggs, which
could be largely prevented by inn
proved methods, and in this arti.
Icle the causes of such loss are
4 pointed out and suggestions made
/ for remedying them. According
to Mr.. Hastings. the bulk of the
i poultry wealth Of the United States
is to be found on the general farms
of the Mississippi Valley. Some
idea of the growth of the poultry
4 industry on these general farms is
shown in the case of the state of
Kansas, where exclusive poultry
farms are practically unknown, yet
the value Of poultry and eggs sold
4 has increased over a million dol
| lars each year for the past five
years. IS
The total loss to the egg trade
csused by needless deterioration
runs into large figures. The causes
Iof the losses and their estimated
proportion to the total crop value
are summed up as follows: dirty
eggs, 2 per cent; breakage, 2 per
cent; chick development or heated
eggs, 5 per cent; shrunken or held
eggs, S per cent, rotten eggs, 2.5
per cent; moldy or bad flavor, U.5
q per cent; total II per cent.
The loss from chick development
or heated eggs is probably greater
than from any other source, and
is especially heavy during the
summer in the south and west,
where it amounts to 25 or 30 per
cent of the eggs produced during
the heated season. The RESPONSE.
bility for heated eggs is almost
+ wholly with the farmer, altho the
rural buyer and the freight handler
are in no wise innocent.
To save the millions of dollars
which are carried down our sewers
in the shape of bad eggs, ''says MIR.
Hastings, I'VE must have, first, 8
campaign of education among the
egg producers that will show every
farmers wife that when eggs are
q allowed to remain in damp nests,
: under broody hens. or in hot
;, kitchens, there is loss in quality
which means an actual loss in mon.
i ey to herself and to her neighbors;
!, and secondly, a system Of buy ing
! eggs that will as nearly as possible
recompense every producer who
q sells eggs exactly in accordance
with what those eggs are worth.
, Above all else, the infallible rule
concerning the marketing of eggs
l is for the farmer to sell his eggs as
soon as possible after they are
! laid.
+ The profits of the city retailer
are by far the largest item in the
!, marketing Of eggs. An approx.
mate idea Of the profits Of the var.
ious handlers Of eggs may be OBJ
: tanned from the following figures
showing the elements of cost Of {
dozen eggs purchased by q New
YORK consumer
5j:s;;g Cent.
e Paid to the farmer in Iowa is
4 Profit to the country store 0
i Gross profit Of the shipper II
Freight to New York 1.5
Gross profit to receiver IS
Gross profit to jobber !. q
Loss from Gambling 1.5.
ii yroSa nrnfit IN 1.etai1or <