Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-04-26
THE POULTRY YARD
THE MARKET FOR EGoe
Demand for a strictly fresh, sweet
BY DD WEBER


favored.strong- bodied egg always ex-
| lists. In the farming towns all tover
the great middle west are thousands Of
poultry keepers who do produce such
eggs and who do not receive what they
are worth. Why? Simply because the
present way Of handling eggs at the
country points absolutely eliminates
any chance of any one producer hav-
ing his eggs spotted and to receive for
such any premium price. AS 1t stands
his big, clean, white or brown eggs
Just about help the local merchant to
make UP for the small, stale and dirty
eggs some other fellow brings him and
to whom he allows just as much III
trade as he does for the choice eggs.
That this condition Is not Just is
seen at a glance but the local mer-
chant buys as he sells. so we may not
look to the merchant for any change
Of tactics. II you will look at, your
market quotations as listed in your
city newspaper you Will find eggs
graded: Fresh gathered extras. fresh
gather flrsts, seconds and dirties. Eggs
sent into the large city markets are
graded according to these several
standards and are paid for accord
ingly.
Same Rule Applies at Home.
These same grades exist just as
truly in your home town as they do in
the city, but as rule no distinction Is
ever made and hence the post potent
stimulus for the production Of choice
market eggs, that Of quality prices is
wholly ignored. This fact has made
thousands Of farmers ship their eggs
to the city markets, for there at all
seasons of the year a fancy freshly
gathered egg will always bring a
premium price.
The lesson taught the world Of pro-
dueers by, the western apple growers
Is just as true in the production of
eggs. Their watchword of quality"
must be that Of the poultryman, and
even to a far greater extent for the
reason that the real food value of the
egg Is contained within a shell and
the exact quality can not be fully de-
termined until this shell is broken and
the egg used. AS each apple producer
IL held personally responsible for each
apple that comes from his orchard, so
will each farmer be held responsible
for each egg he offers for food pur-
poses, and as the apple man. he will
then receive for his eggs their real
product from 3 to s cents below what
he should receive If his eggs arc fresh
and clean.
Any farmer who has a flock of a |
hundred hens can be case-lot shipper
the year thru, but to do so success
fully one must be willing to give it the
necessary care and attention 1t de-
mands.
4 ,.. Producing the Goods. =
What Is a quality" egg and what
essentials must prove up to so that
1t may grade fafY hennery? There
are six essentfals:f(1) fresh gathered
where produced. ca clean: (3) of
good average size and shell quality:
't4Ss sorted as to color; 60 properly
packed for market 70 as to suggest its
real quality; CO. 1t must contain a
maximum amount Of food value. Il
Now to consider each essential. First
Is the gathering, and to have fresh
gathered eggs~some one has to make
It his business and see that the eggs
are picked up at regular intervals dur
ing the day and not left to chance. AS
to- how yoften the eggs should be gath
cred is}largely a matter Of good COM
moRr sense and the season of the year. +
In hot.weather the eggs should be
picked up at least twice daily as any
fertile egg that has the warm hen sit
upon 1t for even half day will not !
grade as fresh-gathered when it |
reaches the city market. As final
precaution every egg should be lighted
or candled so that you may know as
soon as possible the exact condition Of
the eggs you are to sell. The time
worn excuse Of IT thought the eggs
were all right" will not do If you wish
to figure as a producer OF choice mar |
ket eggs. It Is your business to know.
Second is the essential cleanliness.
II there is any one item Of the list of
essentials over which variance occurs I
1t Is this word clean. The city egg I
Gambler. after sizing up the quality In
side, takes note Of the condition out
side and ,altho your egg Is strictly !
fresh it goes into the fresh dirties,"
If It Is soiled with mud or manure. |
Never rub an egg. If after washing a |