Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1913-01-30
PULLETS ARE
WINTER LAYERS
The Coming Winter Fresh Eggs
Will Be Abnormal
Iy High
EGGS At SEVENTY FIVE CENTS
Farmers Should Form Egg Circles
Stamp Their Eggs, and Have one
Person For Sales Agent.

II
The time Is now approaching when
. considerable number Of West Vir-
GINA farmers will begin to market the
chickens which they have raised this
season. In former years large num-
bers of pullets have been disposed OF
at practically the same price as cock
erels. This year every vigorous.
healthy, we'll grown pullet in West
Virginia should be retained on the
farm for the purpose of producing mar
ket eggs, and in place of selling these
| pullets the old hens should be dis
posed of. Early Matched pullets make
better winter layers than old hens.
The most profitable period Of egg pro.
duction is during the first year.
During the coming. winter eggs will
be abnormally high in price, due to va.
rious factors. At present large. clean.
fresh, white eggs are being sold at
wholesale in New York City for as
high as forty-four cents per dozen, and
1t Is confidently predicted by those who
are in close touch with the egg mar
ket, that the highest grade OF fresh
| eggs will wholesale for seventy-fve
cents per dozen before they are low
er. So instead Of selling OH the pull
let's at the relatively low prices that
they will bring now, they should be
made to produce these high priced
eggs.
Many of those who have small fiocks
of fowls may say that they do not pro-
duce enough eggs to justify their ship.
ment to big market, but II the farm
ers in certain locality combine to-
gether and form a little marketing as
| ISOLATION, selling their eggs co-opera-
lively, they can be shipped In case lots
and sold to advantage.
There Is no better poultry country
In the world than West Virginia. Our
winters are mild and almost ideally
adapted to winter egg production, and
In place of eggs being shipped into
our cities during the winter, the farm
ers of the state could, with great profit,
not only supply the local demands, but
| thousands of car loads should be ship
ped into the great consuming centers.
The express rate from practically
any section Of West Virginia is only
about seventy-seven cents per case OF
thirty dozen, or practically &c cents
per dozen. This small charge will de-
liver eggs to any hotel, restaurant,
club. or private dwelling in New York
City.
There is no form of farm activity
that pays better in West Virginia than
the keeping of a good flock Of hens for
the production of eggs. On the farm
the feed, even at the high prices which
now prevail for grain, will not cost
more than $1.00 per fowl per year. If
pullets are given reasonable care and
attention, one can expect at least ten
dozen eggs per fowl for the season.
These should net the farmer, II they
are marketed intelligently and to best
advantage, at least thirty cents doz-
en-, or an average Of $500 per fowl for
the eggs. Deducting the cost for feed.
there remains a profit of $500 per
fowl, and the farmer has the fowl left
at the end of the year.
Our farmers should build more and
better poultry houses. They should
keep more and better fowls, and they
should feed more literally and intelli-
gently, for there Is money In 1t.
There are being organized now in
certain sections of West Virginia what
are known as egg circles. The pur.
pose of these organizations Is to mar
ket the eggs of the members to better
advantage. A board Of directors Is
elected and a sales agent appointed.
Each farmer is provided with small
rubber stamp. This stamp contains
the name of the egg circle, and the
stamps are numbered consecutively.
All eggs sent out are stamped by the
farmer who produces them. SO that ev.
cry egg can be traced back to the orig.
inal producer. The sales agent, then,
Is in position to guarantee every egg
to the retailer, and the retailer In turn
can guarantee every egg to the con-
sumer. If the consumer finds any bad
eggs they can be traced back to the
original producer, and he can be fined
according to the rules Of his local egg
circle. The very fact that all eggs can
be traced back to the original producer
causes each producer to be more care
| full in gathering them. II nest OF
eggs which has been overlooked IS
found, these eggs In a majority OF
cases, Will be consumed on the farm.
and will not enter into the regular
| shipment. Each farmer is provided
by the sales agent with cardboard car.
| tons, all of the same style. These are
packed in the ordinary thirty dozen
! egg cases, and then shipped away.
Egg circles have been in operation
in certain parts of Canada for the past
two or three years, and they have been
| the means of increasing the produc.
ton and getting more money for the
eggs.
The Station will be glad to assist In
the formation Of egg circles in WesI
! Virginia. HORACE ATWOOD,
West Virginia Agricultural Expert
| ment Station.
A Hero In A Lighthouse.