University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1910-10-06
Missouri Still the Poultry Queen.

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Missouri still has a fast hold in the
title of ''oultry Queen of the Union,"
having in the year 1909 placed on the
market poultry, eggs and feathers to
the value of s45,9O2.655. Anyhow, this
is the announcement made by Labor
Commissioner ]. c. A. Hitler in the
1910 Red Book of the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, which will be ready for dis
tribution soon.
"Just think Of it! Poultry, eggs and
feathers to the value Of nearly S46~
100000 were sent to market in one
year by the farmers and poultry ra:s-
ers of Missouri's ia Counties" en-
Enthusiastically announces the Red Book
in the chapter given to this Industry.
IF there is any other state in the
union which can surpass this record
then it will have to show its facts
and figures for comparative purposes
before this state will yield first rank
to it," further declares the Official pub
lication of the Bureau of Statistics.
LAS high as Missouri ranks in lead,
zinc, iron, coal and other materials,
and for it's raw quarry products, yet
the value OF the poultry surplus is
about S10,00O,O00 greater"
The poultry figures of 1909 repre-
sent gain of about 81, 100000 in value
over those for the year 1908, which
were S44,960,973. OF eggs alone, 49,
73O,O47 dozens were sent to market
last year, and, at the average whole
sale price OF 15 cents a dozen, which
| is a very conservative figure, they
sold for $22,309,507, or enough to build
twenty-five fair-sized modern cruisers
and leave enough over to pay the sal
aries and wages Of the officers and
crews for q year. yFy
Then there were according to- the
Figures Of Supervision Statistician
Arch T. Edmonston, 116,O79,5O5 pounds
OF chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks,
squads and other fowl sent to market
alive, in coops, where they met the
same fate which has befallen millions
OF others of their Missouri ancestors
in years gone by, At the low whole
sale price of 10 cents pound, from
this vast amount of farm wealth there
was realized s11,607,951.
While nearly all the live poultry
was consumed at home, that is within
the boundaries of the state, there still
remained 94,224,6S7 pounds, which was
sent out from the producing points in
the dressed" stage. Much Of this
large amount went in modern Tefrig-
orator cars, many million pounds 60
ing as far away as Boston, New York
and Philadelphia, not to mention what
stopped at Chicago, which city draws
heavy annually On Missouri for poul-
try and eggs. At IL cents a pound,
which is q low wholesale price, the
dressed" poultry of 1909 brought in
s11. .3O6,962. -
OF course, it must not be fogotten
that Missouri cities, like st. Louis,
Kansas City, st. Joseph, Joplin,
Springfield. Sedalia and others, had to
be supplied with poultry and egg
first, before any shipments were made
abroad. The figures representing their
consumption for 1909 are included in
the surplus of this class of Missouri
wealth.
Last but not least, is Nissouri's
feather crop of 1909. Beds made of
this downy dress of poultry may not
be used as generally as they. were
thirty years ago. but new fields have
been found for feathers. Anyhow, the
surplus of this commodity of Missouri
for last year weighed 1,695,5SS pounds
and was worth s67S,235.
Buchanan county is credited by the
1910 Red Book with having surplus
poultry products for 1909 to the value
OF s2,o35,660. A total of 6,30S, ,OOsuozen
OF eggs, valued at S946,2OO helped to
make up these figures. st. Joseph was
supplied first, and then shipments
were made for Kansas City, St. Louis,
Chicago and other points.
Pettis county looms up a good sec.
ond with a surplus of poultry and
eggs, valued for 1909 at S2,O22,471. The
consumption of Sedalia is included.