Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-01-20
HENS LAYING BETTER.
BUT EGGS STAY "UP"
Farmers Institute at Haddon-
field Rejoices Without a
Blush at Prosperity

Any one who has an idea that eggs are
cheaper in the rural communities here
abouts than they are in the city should
have attended the annual Farmers Insti-
tuto held at TIaddonfeld. y. j., yesterday
afternoon and last night
Farmers stood up at the institute and
confessed without blushing that they asked
and got hrty-four, ffty-fve and even as
much as seycnty-two cents dozen for
their hen fruit. They admit that now the
hens are laying better than Mt this time one
year ago, when the relative prices of eggs
were less. one farmer down beyond Ber-
lin says his coo hens are laying elegant"
That same farmer is getting hftyfour
cents dozen for his eggs, hauling them
only to Camden, sixteen miles.
Private residents and dealers alike are
willing to pay that price" he said MY
eggs are of the Barred Plymouth Rock
species, Of dark shell and consequently
do not bring as high price as clear,
whItcsheled eggs. A neighbor who has
large hocl, of hens Of breeds that produce
white.sheIed eggs Is getting more than l
am. Every one in my neighborhood is get
ting these high prices. and every one has
production equal to that Of last year. BE
sides poultry is bringing high prices and
the old hens which are beginning to lay be-
hind are quickly sold off at good prices.
I'VE have no trouble getting our prices
because the dealers are getting theirs and
are willing to pay. OF course, it must be
understood that the cost of feeding chick
ems has risen considerably and, like my
neighbors. | am feeding especially for eggs.
Besides corn there are wheat, peas and
other foods that are being given to the hens,
but these all help to increase the egg pro-
ductton and the price Of eggs far exceeds
the increased price Of the feeds"
Another farmer who has II large acreage
aud several hundreds of hens just outside
Of IIaddonfeld said My hens are laying
as well as year ago and am not feeding
amy heavier than l did then. OF course,
like every one else, am getting the benefit
of the high prices. Only a week ago a
number Of pullets began laying, and these
have brought a heavy increase in my daily
gathering Of eggs, But there is a ready
market for every one"
Virtually every farmer at the institute
had the same answer.
The prices are up. Why, We do not know
But, assuredly, it is not because eggs
fTesh-laid, ] mean-aTe any scarcer than
they We're last year" was the consensus
of opinion. Some few admitted their hen
yards were not producing, i'm number Of
eggs, the amount of previous years, but
none would say that the decrease was alb
normal, all decreases If any, being due en-
tirely to the winter, which Is an annual
cause of cut in production.
Another feature of the egg production
this winter in Camden County is the fact
that residents who keep only a dozen or
two hens in their backyards are able to
sell eggs where last year none was 10 he
had. Fifty to sixty cents per dozen is the
average price to neighboTs who are less
fortunate in not having hens of their own
Last winter, when prices were considerably
lower these suburbanites had not even
sufficient eggs for their own uses This year
there are fresh eggs for sale" signs every
where, hanging on porch railings and other
places.
And with it all these suburbantes say
they are using the usual number for their
own households and are selling only the
excess, one such resident who has been
feeding skinned milk TO his hens. in addi-
tion to the usual grain ration. has been
selling steadily, while last year he was
steadily turning away would-be purchasers.