Las Vegas optic., 1913-11-20
IF eggs COULD GO
BY PARCEL
POST
THE PRODUCER AND CONSUMER
WOULD PROFIT; MIDDLE
MAN WOULD SUFFER

Washington, Nov. How to get
the egg from the farmer or the poul-
tryman to the consumer without the
employment of the middleman is the
problem that the division of animal i,
husbandry of the bureau of animal in /,
dustry has sought to solve. It has
suggested: Cut out the middleman
and bring the producer and the con
sumer together through the parcel
post. But DR. A. D. Melvin, chief Of
the bureau, says that this is easier
said than done, The softness Of the
egg shell is the great obstacle in the
way. No container that exactly fills
the bill has been found. If the con
tainer is secure it weighs too much;
if light enough it is not secure.
DR.. Melvin and associates have
been experimenting for months to
find the proper container for mailing
eggs.
A hen that lays every day in the
year would be worth her weight in
gold. There were laid in the United
States last year 1,7OO,OOO0OO dozen
eggs, worth s85O,OOO,OOO, The price
of eggs has gradually Increased for
20 years IN 1900 New York paid for
the average best fresh eggs from ~
to 20 cents. In 1912 the figures were
2O1s to 60 cents. At the same time
New York has been consuming more
eggs each succeeding year. In 1900
2,799, ,7S7 cases Of eggs were received
in New York: last year the number
increased to 4,72S,55S. In 1891 Bos-
ton, Chicago, Cincinnati Milwaukee,
New York, st. Louis and San Fran
cisco received 5.O4O,SSS cases Of eggs.
and last year 1896 401
4 Within the last ten or Is years
there has been a decided Improvement
of the quality Of eggs and in the
methods Of handling them. The old
custom Of selling eggs by tie dozen
/, has been discarded and the ploducer
disposes of his eggs by the pound
This has improved the character Of
the egg.
"The quickest way to arouse a de
! sire in the producer to raise bettei
/, chickens and supply better eggs il
, to show him that good quality poultry
and eggs are worth more than thos,
of poor quality" said II. c. Pierce 0
the food research laboratory of th,
bureau of chemistry.
In the southern states this has beer
done. At one time the North Carolin;
! egg was considered the poorest on th,
market; the meat was lean. When th,
producers found that fat eggs weigh
ed more than poor ones they began
to take better care Of their hens AM
get better eggs. Soon North caro-
lima eggs ranked with Tennessee ant
Kentucky eggs.
Mr.. Pierce says that s45,OOO, ,OOl
worth Of eggs are lost annually in thiI
country between the producer and tn,
consumer.
'Tn marketing eysgs there IS hr
enormous loss" said Mr.. Pierce
Much Of this is preventable. Will,
this loss falls on all who handle eggs
it is borne chiefly by the produce
and the consumer The producers
loss, caused by a decrease in price
under present conditions, represent
that due to spoilage or poor quality
The consumers loss is due to cur
tailed supply because Of the eggs tha
are either of poor quality or a tota
loss. Hence the consumer has to pa.
higher prices for those that finall,
reach him.
''While these losses are increased
at all stages Of handling by the pro
Queer. the country storekeeper, th'
produce dealer, the railroad the com
| mission man and jobber, and the re
, taller. the greatest preVentable los
occurs before the produce dealer Oh
tains the goods that Is, while tn
eggs are stili on the farm or in tn
hands Of the small country storelkeer
er who takes eggs in exchange 70
supplies
BY the use Of the parcel post, whe1
q desirable container Is obtained tn
producer can do away with the mid
ileman and put his eggs in the HON
= Of the consumer within short tim
| after they are laid
'From the nest to the pantry Of tn
consumer is to be the slogan Of Sex
retary Houston's egg experts
tt Is estimated that the consume
can be saved at least one-half Of hi
? egg bill If the parcel post become
3 the highway Of the egg, and the PIX
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