The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-05-21
COOPERATIVE EGG
CIRCLE THE THING
Community Groups Recon-
mended To Increase Quail
ity of Product.

A cooperative plan to reduce the
enormous waste now caused by the
careless marketing of eggs is out
lined in Farmers Bulletin 656, "The
Community Egg Circle" which has
Just been published by the depart
ment. 1t is estimated that under
the present haphazard methods of
gathering and marketing eggs nearly
per cent. of the countrys output is
total loss. Since the annual pro-
duction of poultry and eggs in the
| United States is valued at more than
$500, 000,000-a sum equal to the value
of the hay or wheat crop-the impor-
tance of reducing this loss is obvious.
The individual farmer too often re"
CARDS his eggs as a mere by-product
to which it is hardly worth his while
to devote himself seriously; in conse-
uuence he is inclined both to neglect
his poultry and to gather his eggs
whenever, he happens to have spare
moment or two. In consequence the
output of his poultry yard is not only
small to begin with, but large pro-
portion of it has begun to spoil be-
fore it reaches the hands of the coun-
try merchants. They usually buy the
eggs on cease count" paying the
same price for good, bad, and indif-
ferent. The large markets, hoWeV-
er, do not pay the same price and re-
iect many altogether; in consequence
the price per egg to the farmer IS
made sufficiently low to provide safe
margin and to cover the loss on eggs
of poor quality.
These conditions have been so firm
ly established by long usage that the
individual can do little to alter them
unaided. Community cooperation,
however, can quickly raise the stand
ard of the eggs shipped from any one
neighborhood, and with the standard
the price. The fancy trade is quite
willing to pay more for a guaranteed
article and the extra cost of produc-
ing the guaranteed article is more In
pains than in cash.
The plan outlined in the bulletin
already mentioned calls for the or
ganization of a community egg circle
which should included as soon as pos
sible enough members to warrant the
employment of a manager. Each
member agrees to gather his eggs
daily and in hot weather twice day,
to keep t EN- in cold place, and to-
deliver none that is more than days
old No eggs are to be washed, and
the male bird is to be kept away from
the flock except during the mating
season.
The manager Of the circle inspects,
grades, and markets as whole the
deliveries the members make to him.
Payment is made to the members IN
proportion to the number of eggs of
each grade that they deliver and the
prevailing market prices, less their
proportion of the necessary expenses.
The bulletin also gives suggestions for
convenient receipt forms which will
enable the members to check up their
payments with their deliveries.
Such a system will enable the circle
to make arrangements for the deliv-
cry of regular suplie sto the best and
most discriminating class of trade.
There is always demand for guar
anteed eggs on the part of clubs,
hotels, restaurants, and even well-to-
do private families, but the individual
farmer rarely has sufficient output
to enable him to make a contract
with any Of these consumers, and the
country merchant has no means to
guarantee to the consumer the eggs
that he buys from individuals over
whom he has no control. CO-opera-
| tive marketing also enables the eggs
to be put up in attractive cartons,
which can be turned into valuable me-
diums of advertising and reduces the
Expense of shipments. The increased
returns. furthermore, fill encourage
the producer to devote more time and
care to his stock, better hens will be
kept, they will be kept in better con-
dition, and in consequence there will
be more eggs as well as better ones
to market.