The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-04-24
COOPERATION FOR
 EGG PRODUCERS
Community Circles Recon mended To Increase the Quality of the Produce of the Farmers Poultry Yard.


 Washington. April 24-A coopera- tive plan to reduce the enormous waste now. caused by the careless marketing of eggs is outlined in Far mers' Bulletin 656 ."The Community Egg Circle'' which has just been pub lished by the U. s. Department of Agriculture. It is estimated that un- der the present haphazard methods or gathering and marketing eggs nearly per cent of the country's output is a total loss. Since the annual pro duction of poultry and eggs in the Unitedt States is valued at more than $500, ,00o, ,000-a sum equal to the value of the hay or wheat crep-the ! importance of reducing this loss is obvious
 The individual farmer too often re- gards his eggs as mere by-product to which it is hardly worth his while to devote himself seriously in conse- quence he is inclined both to neglect his poultry and to gather his eSgs whenever he happens to have a spare moment or two. In consequence the output of his poultry yard is not only small to begin with, but a large pro- portion of it has begun to spoil before l it reaches the hands of the country merchants. They usually buy the 1 eggs on tease count paying the same price for good,s bad, and indifferent l The large markets, however, do not ! l together; in consequence the price per 1 egg to the farmer is made sufficiently low to provide g safe margin and to l cover the loss on eggs of poor quality These conditions have been so frm-' ] Iv established by long usage that the l individual can do little to alter them unaided. Community cooperation, however. can quickly raise the stand ard on the eggs shipped from any one neighborhood, and with the standard l the price. The fancy trade is quite willing to pay more for a. guaranteed article and the extra cost of producing the guaranteed article is more in pains ] than in cash.
 The plan outlined in the bulletin already mentioned calls for the or I ganization of community egg circle | which should include as soon as pOssi- b1e enough members to warrant the employment of a. manager. Each l member agrees to gather his eggs
 daily and in hot weather twice a day,
 to keep them in cold place, and to l deliver none that is more than seven l days old. No eggs are to be washed
 and the male bird is to be kept away
 from the flock except during the mat
 ing season.
 The manager of the circle fnspects grades, and markets as a whole the
 deliveries the members make to him
 Payment is made to the members in 1 proportion to the number of eggs o1
 each grade that they deliver and the
 prevailing market prices, less theil
 proportion of the necessary expenses
 The bulletin also gives suggestions fo1
 convenient receipt forms which will
 enable the members to check up t11eil
 payments with their deliveries.
 Such system will enable the circle
 to make arrangements for the delivery
 of regular supplies to the best and
 most discriminating class of trade
 There is always demand for guaran-
 teed eggs on the part of clubs, hotels
 restaurants and even well l-to-do pri
 vate families but the indivtdual far.
 nner rarely has a sufficient output tS enable him to make a contract witt any of these consumers, and the coun
 try merchant has no means to guaran
 tee to the consumer the eggs that ht
 buys from individuals over whom ht
 has no control. Cooperative market l ing also enablesl the eggs to be put III in attractive cartons which can b, r turned into valuable mediums of ad 3 vertising and reduces the expenses O : shipments. The increased returns : furthermore, will encourage the, pro . ducer to devote more time and car, . to his stock, better hens will be kept r they will be kept in better condition
 and in consequence there will be nor = eggs as well as better. ones to market