The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-08-08
POULTRY
Takes Big Jump AmOng U.
S. Industries
Value Of Products In 1912
Close To A Billion

Washington, Aug 2-Experts in
the department of agriculture note
that there has been a very marked i
growth and Improvement in the poul-
try and egg industry of the United
States during recent years, and that
the industry is now beginning to take |
it's place as one of the leading agri- |
cultural industries of the country In
1910 it is estimated that the value of
poultry products was $750,0O0,O0O, and
since that time the increase, while |
not reduced to figures is known to
have been considerable. A rough es-
innate places it at $1,000, 900 for
1912, or sum not greatly under
that.
The census of 1910 shows that in 10
years there was an increase of 1O6
per cent in the value of poultry pro-
ducts in the extreme western states,
102 per cent i'm the southwestern
states, &c per cent in the middle
states, SO per cent in the southeastern
states, and 55 per cent in the north
eastern states. The middle West still
leads as the center of greatest pro-
duction, but the growth in the far
West and in the South is very
marked.
The comparatively low prices re-
ceived by the farmer for poultry pro-
ducts have not only prevented the in
dustry from developing more rapidly,
but they give great emphasis to the
need for the work now being started
in the direction of organizing the
farmers so as to cut out the middle
man.
Poultry products, it is said by de-
partmental experts, instead of going
from the producer to the consumer
rather directly, ordinarily pass
through number of hands, each levy
ing its toll. Generally they go from
the farm to the country store, after
wards to the local egg or poultry buy
er, then to the poultry packing house,
and through cold storage to the job
ber, and finally the retailer supplies
them to the consumer After each of
these middle men has levied his trib-
ute, it is not difficult to understand
why the farmer receives so little for
his poultry and eggs that he thinks
it not worth while to pay serious at
tention to that industry, and why at
the same time, the consumer pays
prices for them which are usually re-
| garded as being exorbitant.
The newly established bureau of
markets in the department of agricul-
ture, now just getting under way, and
the committee of Congress now en-
gagged in study OF rural credits in
Europe, will be expected to recon-
mend action by the general govern
ment that will make It possible for
the farmer to organize his business in
a way that will not only give him a
fair return for his poultry products,
but on everything else he produces,
and at the same time make the price
to the consumer more reasonable
than it has been for 25 years.
The department calls attention to
the rapid development in poultry edu-
cation and experimentation during the
past few years. The first poultry
school in the United States was es-
tablished as recently at 1898 by the
Rhode Island Agricultural College at
Kingston, in that state At present
some instruction in poultry husband
ry Is given in nearly every state
while about one-third of the state col
leges are holding special poultry
schools. In addition, educational work
in poultry husbandry Is going on by
college or school instruction through
extension work by most of the state
colleges and experiment stations, by
many of the state boards of agricul
ture, and by several railroad compan
les, working individually or in co
operation.