Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1919-12-12
A BIRD IN THE HAND
specal Information Service. U Agric
Quality Basis for Poultry and
Eggs Will Plug Leak in Profits
Superior
from Producer
TO ntarIs

eat-fora-quarter" lunch farth
away than ever from the public.
The logical method of controlling
leaks and losses in the egg-market.
ing end of the poultry business, ac-
cording to United States Department
of Agriculture specialists, is to in
duce producers to market only large.
clean, fresh eggs on the quality basis.
BY paying a premium for the pro-
duction of superior products the in
termediate handler increases the
profits and minimize the losses all
along the line from the farmer to the
consumer.
1t costs the farmer more to pro-
duce large. clean, fresh eggs than it
does to market small dirty, rotten,
inferior products, and. unless the
price is sufficient to induce him to
extra exertion, he will not bother to
better the quality.
Sell Eggs on Grade Basis.
Some produce dealers claim that
it is impossible for them to buy eggs
on graded quality basis because
their competitors pay fiat rate.
Nevertheless. many firms throughout
the country are buying on the quality
basis and realizing profit thereby.
Such operations necessitate that the
RI L. \
grade the eggs so as to buy judi
ciously, and they must make an
effort to show the people from whom
they buy what the different stan
dards and grades are. Whenever and
wherever this quality method of buy
ing has been pursued, invariably the
duced have rapidly improved and in
creased. Similarly in the case of
poultry, different kinds and weights
bring different prices AS rule,
mature fowls weighing over 4 pounds
are worth more a pound dressed than
birds under this weight. Therefore.
some dealers pay a premium price
for the larger fowl. 1t is only fair to
the producer that if the produce deal
er sells produce on a grade basas. he
should also buy on a grade basis
One of the best opportunities
whereby the produce dealer may i'm
prove the quality of poultry apa-eggs
in his vicinity is by Offering prizes
and arranging for demonstrations at
poultry shows. One firm in Iowa.
DESTROYS of large fowls for sale in
Eastern markets. offered at local
shows prizes of IS each for the best
pullet pens, consisting of one cock
erel and four pullets of the most pop
ular variety of Plymouth Rocks, WV
andottes, Rhode Island Reds. and
! Orpingtons. In five years the pro-
duction of purebred birds of these
breeds increased enormously. and the
| farmers were able to pack much
better grade of poultry than their
competitors. and they received higher
prices. Other firms. by Offering
prizes on eggs, have increased the
quantity of purebred poultry kept
and the number of eggs produced.
Give Producers Pulebred Sires.
Some dealers have distributed
purebred males among the farmers
who sell products to them, in order
to grade up the farm flocks. This
method improved the flock from the
scrub variety to the grade status. An
entire substitution of pure blood for
scrubs can be accomplished by hatch
ing eggs from purebred stock. Pure
bred breeding pens, consisting of fe-
males and one male, cost more than
the average dealer can afford for
general distribution. However, it
will pay him to furnish few farm
ers in each locality with such focks,