The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-03-04

Foynes,, County Limerick, Ireland
As q housewife what would you think
of a plan Of handling eggs which
would make eggs boiled with the shell
on always available for the table?
How would you like to feel sure that
any egg in your basket could be
dropped into a kettle Of hot water
with some certainty that 1t would
come out a palatable egg and not a
nondescript animal product represent
ing the period Of transition from egg
to chicken? "
When you buy your eggs at the
grocer how would you like 1t If you
could be as sure that they were fresh
and palatable as you would be If your
own hens had laid them yesterday
and you yourself had taken them from
the nest and placed them In the
kitchen?
Now if the tales that they are tell
ing here In Ireland and Denmark and
elsewhere csbroad are true, a proper
organization of the egg producing in
dustry would give to eggs a definite
uniform quality. Here uncertainty as
to quality has been eliminated, and
cooperation has brought standariza-
ton, inspection, and branding, which
render every cooperative egg a strict
'ly fresh egg. The claim is, too, that
In addition to giving you strictly
fresh" eggs. cooperation will give
them to you at a cost no greater
than the present cost of ordinary
eggs. -
From the Farmers Standpoint.
II you look at 1t from the stand
point Of the farmer who has the fresh
eggs in his nest, he \ought to be-
anxious to know how he can hurry
these eggs to market before they get
spoiled and are worthless. He is also
interested in getting a market that
supplies a steady all-the-year-around
demand for eggs for, unfortunately,
hens have a habit of laying the most
eggs when the price is lowest. A
farmer must have a market when this
time comes.
And so a little party Of US Ameri-
cans have come over here to see If
cooperation is anything that can be
used in America to help the American
farmer and the American consumer.
We are also going to Denmark, Bel
GUM and Germany to see II co-opera-
ton in those countries Is doing what
is claimed for It.; to see IL co-opera-
ton can be adopted and adapted to
American needs.
Cooperation Market for Eggs.
The Irish cooperation egg market
ing association is primarily for the
purpose OF securing a good profitable
market for eggs. The market must
be reached promptly, the eggs must
not pass through too many hands.
They must not be shipped into a dis
tant city, then half way back across
the country as is done with some
farm products in America.
BY the time eggs that start as
strictly fresh, have gone on a journey
like this and arrive at their final des-
~tination they are no longer strictly
fresh"-they are simply eggs"
The cooperative egg marketing as
ISOLATION here In Ireland soon found
out that to successfully market their
members eggs they must find a mar
ket not too distant, they must ship
by the most speedy and direct route,
and they must so care for the eggs
during the shipment as to prevent the
deterioration that comes within even
a few days under u~nfavorable condi.
tons. In short, there Is a double reason
for direct marketing Of eggs; the first
reason Is that any roundabout, indi-
rect marketing costs the consumer
money and Is an element in fixing the
high cost Of living; the second reason
Is that this long drawn-out process
of marketing renders this particular
product unmarketable when the mar
ket is finally reached. Thus co-opera-
tive e associations are doubly de-
sirable.
Quality In Eggs.
After the direct marketing route
was established cooperative egg as
sociations still found that eggs which
were not strictly fresh when deliv-
cred to the association could not be
sold as strictly fresh, no matter how
rapidly and directly they were rushed
to market. The managers we're com.
PEELED to adopt very harsh measures
in testing eggs delivered to them.
The eggs must not only be fresh,
but they must look fresh. In some
cities, moreover, the people want
brown eggs; others will buy nothing
but pure white eggs. In some mar
kets the small eggs will sell almost as
well as large eggs. In others none
but the large ones need apply. In
some markets, too, in fact in most
markets, the eggs must not only be
fresh and look fresh, but they must
have a certificate Of character at
tached. This ma take the form of q
guaranty, or il may be simply the
brand, date or number of the associa