Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-02-25

In Germany the eggs are marketed
much as they are in Denmark. In the
one province Of Hanover there are for
example one hundred forty-two coop
erative poultry societies. Some of
these combine the breeding OF poultry
or the other forms of cooperation with
the selling OF eggs. Ninety-eight egg
societies. however, are devoted en-
tireIy to egg selling and In the year
1910 disposed Of 27,5O0.000 eggs real.
icing therefrom over $500, 10000 for
distribution among their cooperative
members.
To belong to the society each farmer
pays an entrance fee of twenty-five
cents; shares In the society cost each
S1.25 of which, however. only twelve
cents is paid down, the balance being
gradually paid by distribution of div.
idends upon the trading profits. The
cooperative society at Hanover owns
a substantial brick egg house from
which 100000 eggs are sold each year
The collector who Is paid soc for every
one thousand eggs collected calls once
a week at the farm house of each
member of the cooperative egg sell
ing society. The woman who tests,
sorts and packs the eggs Is paid IF
teen cents for every one thousand
eggs passing through her hands. A
clerk from q neighboring dry goods
store attends to the billing and keeps
the books Of the society, receiving
twenty-five cents for every one thou
sand eggs handled and recorded Sum
ming up all the expense incurred BY
the society In collecting, testing sort
Ing, packing and shipping the eggs II
costs less than four hundred dollars
to market almost half a million eggs
The customers are obtained in the
first instance through the chamber OF
agriculture at Hanover. This Ia a sort
OF rural chamber of commerce which
among other things keeps an up-to
date list OF customers who are good
pay and who are honest dealers. Each
week the society ships large consign
ments to the various cities of the Ger
man Empire seldom finding 1t neces
sary to export to foreign countriea
Experience shows that under this Ger
man cooperative system OF marketing
the cash returns upon each dozen OF
eggs are from three to six cents great
er than they were when they were
sold to the ordinary buyer. On the
other hand not penny has been added
to the cost to the consumers, who 10
the majority of instances get eggs
cheaper than they got them before ana
OF better quality. The more economic
less wastefui system of marketing
cakes egg production more profitable
TO the farmer, leads him to produce
more eggs. increases the supply, and
by the soundest principles OF practical
business economics, lowers the price
to the consumer.
Americans Can Cooperate In Eggs.
Nor has the cooperative marketing
OF eggs been confined to Europe. We
have in our own country some excel
lent institutions which demonstrate
that the cooperative procedure which
is good for the European hen upon the
continent of Europe Is good for tbs
American hen upon American soil
One OF these is at Dassel, MINI.
These are the results In two years:
During the first year. the egg selling
society handled six thousand dozen
eggs. receiving an average of FIVE
cents a dozen more for their product
than was paid for the miscellaneous
eggs on the same markets, thus max
ing over $22 per member
The second year, the association
shipped $4,000 dozen eggs with the
came success, while the Dassel Prod
uce company "a private concern)
shipped 10000 dozen more in carton
box lots. In all, 10000 dozen eggs
we're sent from this little town durins
the year, for which these progressive
farmers received nearly $4,000 In
cash or $4,000 more than they coult
have received under the old system
whereas only enough eggs were for
merly taken In trade at the village gro
Gerry stores to supply the FIVE hundred
people living In Dassel
Other American Cooperative EGG So
eietles.
At Hickory, North Carolina, a 60
operative egg marketing grew out o.
and became engrafted upon a cooper
alive creamery business. That the
existing cooperative creameries car
easily end naturally assume the funo
tons of an egg marketing institution
is evidenced by the success which
several Minnesota creameries have at
tanned In this line.
The cooperative society need no,
necessarily be a large organization
The Blue Mounds Egg association OF
Blue Mounds, Wisconsin. consists oil
only seven members. The home OF
one OF the members constituted the
headquarters OF the concern. Modest
as was this venture II melted the mem
hers very considerable margin above
the price which they otherwise would
have been able to obtain. As the foun
der said; 1T requires almost no time
the association runs itself" In fact
all that Is needed today is the con
vtction that what has been done else
where can be done In any community