The Raymer enterprise., 1914-03-26
EGG.sELLING ASSOCIATIONS
Prince Edward Island Farmers Form 1
Cooperative Organization for Dis
posing Of Products

lBy CONSUL WESLEY FROST. Char
lottetown. Prince Edward Isand)
A cooperative egg-cirele movement
is making rapid headway In Prince
Edward island. Since the spring OF
1918 no less than 13 egg-selling asso-
Citations have been formed among
Prince Edward island farmers, with
an aggregate membership Of over 500.
The largest OF these circles numbers
IS members, while the smallest has
36. The egg shipments to Montreal
from these associations, several OF
which were formed late In the sea-
son, had at the end of October al
ready totaled over $4,000 dozen. Ur-
gent applications have been made by
35 additional farming communities
that they be organized into egg cir
cles by the Dominion poultry expert
who is promoting the system; and to
all appearances the entire egg produc.
tion of the province will have been
brought under the new system with
in two or three years. The members
OF the associations have received on
an average from two to five cents
more per dozen for their eggs than
have their unorganized neighbors.
The egg-circle movement in Canada
was originated by members OF the
staff of the department Of agriculture
OF the province OF Ontario; ard in
January. 1918. there existed nine cir.
cles In that province. One of the two
originators was last spring employed
by the Dominion department Of agri.
culture. livestock branch, to inaugu'
rate the system in Prince Edward
island which has been noted In Can.
ada as a source OF egg supply. produc-
ing from 100000 to 100000 dozen
each year. The results OF the On.
tario movement, with details as to
method Of operation. have been pub
lished In bulletin 208 OF the Ontario
department OF agriculture; but the
success OF the Prince Edward Island
egg circles and their rather less com
picated organization have not as yet
been officially recorded
In organizing an egg circle the Do
minion expert goes into community
and arranges a public meeting. at
which the proposition is laid before
the local farmers. II the decision OF
the meeting is favorable. ballots are
cast Immediately for the board Of
seven directors; and these In turn Sc
lect from among their own number .
president. vice-president and a sec.
retary. with sometimes an executive
committee OF three members. The
directors employ competent mana
ger, or collector and shipper Of eggs
and this manager Is not permitted to
be one of the directorate. as his pres
ence would prevent free discussion
and criticism of his work and con
duct.
Each member OF the circle pays
membership fee of 80 cents, with I
subsequent annual fee OF 25 cents. II
return he receives specially made
rubber stamp and pad. which remain
the property OF the association ant
can be called in II abused. Thli
stamp does not show the date OF col
lection. but simply the registered
numbers OF the egg circle and the In
dividual member, thus fixing tn.
origin of the egg. The member Il
pledged not to turn over to the bust
ness manager any eggs more than on.
week old; and he stamps his eggs or
the day they are to be collected BY
the manager. The member Is also
under obligation to gather his egg,
twice a day in warm weather and
once a day in cool weather and he Il
provided with a set Of simple rules.
framed by the Dominion authorities
as to keeping the eggs cool, unex
posed. etc. until their removal by the
manager collector.