Catoctin clarion., 1910-02-10
WHY EGGS ARE HIGH.

WHY EGGS ARE HIGH.
Reasons Similar to Those Of Cost Of
Other Farm Products.
Has the great American hen quit
laying?
Such an impression has gone forth
by reason of the current market price
of eggs, which has been going up by
leaps and bounds. This explanation,
however, is discarded by the egg
commission men, who. declare that
the fundamental reason for the in
crease in the price of eggs is the same
as in all other foodstuffs-namcly,
the demand is greater in proportion
now than the supply as compared
with conditions of one, five or ten
years ago.
''The reason the good housewife
has to cut down the number of eggs
called for in her cake recipes" re-
marked Welby' H. Rector, one OF the
best-known men in the Baltimore egg
market, is that the farmers boy
has taken it into his head that it is
better to clerk in the city for So a
week than to stay on the farm with
the old folks"
Continuing, Mr.. Rector said:
"This country is fast approaching
the present state in Europe. Time
was when we exported foodstuffs to
the value of millions, but each year
sees a decrease in every line. AS a
nation we are growing. The popula-
ton is multiplying, and immigrant
ships are bringing thousands OF hun
cry mouths to our shore from the
Old World. Instead, however, of
our production of foodstuffs increas-
ing in proportion, it is rapidly de-
clining. ..
"The farmers life is considered a
drudgery, and so the crops are not
keeping pace with the demand. This
means high prices. That is the secret
with regard to eggs, as well as all
other foodstuffs.
"All foodstuffs are linked together,
Increase the price of one and the cost
of production of the other increases.
Eggs are unusually high just now,
secondarily because of the weather.
While eggs at 124 cents dozen are
a thing of the past, never to heard OF
again, there is no need of the present
high price beyond the extremely bad
weather conditions. .-.
1.-THE storage egg crop last season
was the biggest in its history, despite
rumors to the contrary. At present
the holdings are three times greater
than they were at the same time last
year. Then the query comes Why,
then, are storage eggs bringing 273
cents wholesaler Simply because of
the demand.
"The SHOWS have affected the hens
and they are not laying, and then the
roads the country over are impass-
able and the farmer is not bringing
his eggs to market. All this has
caused the holders of storage eggs to
keep up the price. Let the weather
once open and the supply of fresh
eggs increase and there will be cor
respondingly big drop in the price Of
the storage article. ~ ~.
This does not mean that there is
storage egg trust. Such a thing as
cornering eggs or butter is impossible
but man holding eggs is going to
get as much as he can and who will
blame him?
Fresh eggs are just now rarity.
They are not to be obtained in big
lots. The few on the market bring
fancy prices, all the way from 81 to
40, cents dozen wholesale.
"Of course, poultry is keeping pace
with eggs in prices. Saturday sold
at wholesale old hens alive at '173
cents a pound. Ten years ago | was
lucky to get 6 cents pound for the
same article at this time.
OF course, the extremely high
price of eggs is due to the weather
conditions of the present winter, but
underlying it all is the. fundamental
reason for the increase in the cost of
eggs from year to year--the failure
of the supply to keep pace with the
demand. The poultry business is a
gold mine, richer by far than any
that can be found in the Alaskan
fields. Why the farmers boy should
turn away from it and sell dry goods
in department store for $S a week
! cannot see.
What this country needs is more