The Monticellonian., 1915-06-17
PLAN TO REDUCE BIG WASTE
Community Groups Recommended By Agricultural Department to lr-
 crease Quality of Eags.

A cooperative plan to reduce the enormous waste now caused by the careless marketing of eggs is outlined in Farmers Bulletin 656, The Com. munity Egg Circle which has just been published by the United States department of agriculture. It is esti- mated that under the present haphaz- ard methods of gathering and market ing eggs nearly eight per cent of the eountry's output is total loss. Since the annual production of poultry and eggs in the United States is valued at more than $500. GOO e00-a sum equal to the value of the hay or wheat crop the importance of reducing this loss is obvious
 The individual farmer too often re- gards his eggs as a 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 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 a large pro- portion of it has begun to spoil before 1t reaches the hands Of the country merchants. They usually buy the eggs on ease count" paying the same price for good, bad and indifferent The large markets, however. do not pay the same price and reject many alto gether; 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 guaranteed article and the extra cost of producing the guaranteed article is more in pains than in cash
 The plan outlined in the bulletin al ready mentioned calls for the organi- zation of a community egg circle which should include as soon as pos sible enough members ot warrant the employment of a manager Each mem Der agrees to gather his eggs daily and in hot weather twice a day, to keep them in a cold place, and to deliver none that is more than seven days old No eggs are to be washed, and the oil frI i- tO Ho Iyo tI flock except during the mating sea- son.
 The manager of the circle inspects, grades and markets as whole the de- liveries the members make to him Payment is made 10 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 delivery of regular supplies to the best and most discriminating class of trade There is always a demand for guaran- teed eggs on the part of clubs, hotels, restaurants, and even well-to-do pri- vate families, but the individual farm CT rarely has a sufficient output to en- able 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. Cooperative marketing also enables the eggs to be put up in at tractive cartons, which can be turned into valuable mediums of advertising and reduce the expense of shipments. The increased returns, furthermore will encourage the producer to devote more time and care to his stock, bet ter hens will be kept, they will be kept in better condition, and in consequence there will be more eggs as we'll as better ones to market.