The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-16


returns from his business Professor
Stoneburn's accompanying article deals
especially with this important subject, and
is worthy of careful consideration.
BY PROF. FREDERIC II. sToNEBURN
TN one sense, the poultryman is a man
ufacture and is subject to the same
i general rules which influence the man.
ufacturing industry. He takes raw ma
terial in the form of poultry feeds of vari-
GUS kinds and through the use of living
machines turns out finished product. 1t
is obvious, then. that his chance for Sc
curing reasonable profit depends upon
separate factors--his ability TO secure the
raw material of proper quality at lowest
cost; the efficiency of his machines; his
success In selling to advantage.
The first and second points referred to
may be passed at this time. The series
of articles of which this is a part will
contain special contributions dealing with
? them.
< In the selling OF his goods. whether eggs.
table poultry breeding or exhibition birds,
the poultryman has plenty of opportunity
TO exercise his best business ability It
takes about so. much feed and labor to
chicken. The actual cost varies consider
ably according to season of the year, To-
cation of the farm, etc, but this variation
is not equal to that in retail prices.
- At this writing, fresh eggs are Of
fered by leading grocer In an eastern
city at 30 cents per dozen and at go cents
q per dozen. In size, general appearance
and chemical composition, they are prac-
tically Identical There is undoubtedly
some difference in the degree of freshness.
but probably not enough to permit the
average consumer to distinguish between
them Now, why does one grade sell at
Just half the prices of the other when the
actual cost of production is about the
same? Merely because someone knows
better than someone else where and how
to sell. Is II not evident that he gets well
paid for making use of this knowledge?
Use Poultry Products at Home
AT this point 1t might naturally be stated
that ones home table is a pretty good
place to sell" poultry products of various
kinds. Eggs. broilers, roasters, ducks,
SQUADS, etc, are among the most palatable
+ 9IN nutritious of animal foods, and they
Z be produced on the home place at a
much lower figure than the cost of meats
purchased on the open market. The owner
OF flock of poultry makes big profits on
f every dozen of eggs every chicken or
duck he sends to his own kitchen II one
has a nice bunch of chickens of his own
growing, he need care but little about the
soaring price of beef.
Ii would be a mighty good thing IL pro-
ducers of poultry products for the table
3 could be brought to a realization of the
fact that as class they can accelerate
3 or check the consumption of these foods.
Z II this thought could only he driven home
and clin he'd, we would see less poor stuff
offered for sale
+. Every crate of eggs and ,.verv Iaf oP
table poultry sold has it's effect on the
market, and 1t is right UP to the -indi-
yiduai producer to determine whether this
influence shall be favorable or otherwise.
IL Is true that in a large market small
4 shipment seems to have little influence,
but these light influences pile up and
work for sooJ or harm as tie caseasnay
sbe. Give the consumer fresh egg OF
good fiavpr. or IL tender well fattened
chicken, and he VIII want and buy more.
Unload upon him a tough, scrawny fowl
or an egg of uncertain age-but certain
tlavor--and he will not have much of an
appetite for poultry products for some
time to come. Multiply this case by mil
lions and 1t at once becomes evident that
the demand may in a very large degree
be increased or decreased by the quality
of the goods sold. High-grade products
always increase demand and stinen
prices; inferior stuff reverses this
Just why poultrymen, especially the
general farmers from whose small hocks
come the bulk of Americas S table eggs
and poultry, insist upon dumping into our
city markets such vast quantities of eggs
Which-to put Ii politely-are not desirable,
and chicken skeletons covered with skin
and a mighty thin layer of flesh, is beyo,>
comprehension. These may bring in a few
dollars of ready money, but no one is
fooled by them, and the producer gets
paid only for what he sells. Eggs and
chicks cost money to grows Why not ex-
crosse 81 little care In gathering, sorting
and packing the eggs in fattening. dress
ing and packing the poultry, and thus Sc
cure egeatly increased return. most of
which is clear proht2 This looks like good
: business.
When placing his product on the market
the poltryman may choose-acco to
his local conditions or personal inclina-
tions-between four methods. He may
Sell direct to the consumer
Sell direct to the retailer
q Sell 10 local collectors
Sell ON the open market through com
mission houses.
Any one of these plans may be success
fully used. Each possesses advantages
and disadvantages. No one of them is
best suited to all conditions The indi-
vidua must decide which best fits into
his plans Let us take them up In order
is As a general proposition, in sections
where the local supply fails to meet the
iNelnallu. 5lle pest prices are secured when
selling direct to the consumer. In strictly
agricultural communities, where everyone
keeps hens and has surplus poultry prod
utcs to sell, the local market is not worth
considering and the output of the farm
viii have to be shipped High priced spe-
cialitles, as crate-fattened chickens
squads green ducks, guinea chickens.
etc, are not in demand in small towns
and naturally gravitate to the wealthy
cities, where rich families, fine hotels
and expensive restaurants absorb them.
3 But any poultryman with reasonably
steady supply OF such staples as eggs and
chickens of various sizes can work up a
desirable retail trade in any city. good
sized town or even manufacturing village
snear which he may be located. He NAV
lay out a special route, which he covers at
stated intervals. run a stall in the market
fhouse-where such exist--or depend iIpou
the mail and telephone to bring him his
orders
The extra price secured from direct
sales may mean the difference between
small and large profits. But ii costs more
10 conduct the business on this basis One
must spend much time In soliciting orders
and delivering the goods Each individual
must decide for himself whether the In