The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-02-23

What are eggs worth? That ques-
You may hear the grocers clerk an
swer it in every store; you may hear
the reply given to the farmers wife
by the egg buyer who drives over the
country in quest of eggs, poultry and
country butter. The buyer at whole
sale for retail distribution and the
banker who loans on eggs in cold
storage are ever asking the price of
eggs.
What are eggs worth? Well, it all de-
ponds. Commercially speaking it de-
ponds upon the freshness of the egg;
where it came from. and for discrim-
mating eastern trade the color of the
shell is of importance. In New York
City, for example, white eggs of uni
form size bring the most money, while
in Boston the epicurean palate de-
mands the brown egg of commerce.
Do these eggs taste differently? Not
that we have ever discovered. We
have said that where the eggs came
from made difference in the price. 1t
does. Southern eggs, equally fresh
and just as nutritious, never bring top
prices at wholesale in northern mar
kets, nor in fact any place else. Why?
Originally, no doubt, lack of care in
gathering, prompt shipments while all
were fresh, and the percentage of dir
ties" caused the southern egg to fall
into disfavor. Again, in that warmer
climate eggs are produced at less cost
than is possible farther north, where
poultry is carefully housed for months
and properly fed on an egg ration
! basis most of the year.
Market Eggs Are Cheap
What are eggs worth? Again, at
| all depends" Do you want eggs to
eat; just fresh eggs to fry, boil, poach
or scramble, or will good cold storage
eggs meet your views at the break
fast table? If SO, eggs are worth so
| little just now that the buyers of
commercial chicken feeds are on the
ragged edge of losing money on their
best winter layers; most likely are los
i ing money on their investments in
fine birds and equipment. As a matter
of fact eggs are at the lowest price
j level since midsummer of last year,
when eggs made a low of 20 cents at
wholesale in Cincinnati late in July.
Eggs were sold for eastern shipment
at "a cents at Cincinnati, on Tuesday,
and what has happened to eggs in Gin
cinnati is reflected at Chicago and also
at all eastern points.
Eggs have broken 10 cents within
a very few days, Chicago having a
scent break the first two days of the
week. New York eggs dropped cents
on Tuesday. Richmond retailers set
their buying price at % cents on
"Wednesday ........
Fine Eggs Still So Each
Eggs are cheap enough, you say:
Yes, surely. But not all eggs, be il
known. For a number of years there
have been men who have charged s.
each and up for their fancy eggs, thai
is to say eggs from their best pedi
greed layers. There is a gentleman
at Lancaster, Pa, who has an out
standing flock of White Leghorns who
lpays no attention whatever to egg
market fluctuations. We recently
heard from this Leghorn man and
his letter and catalog are before us
: He incidentally remarks that he Is
making us price of 50 each for eggs
from certain individual hens" and
can further sell us setting of Is eggs
from his "All-Star 300-egg pen" at the
nominal sum of $25 per setting. A lit
tie further along he gives us the rec
ords of the hens in another pen, the
eggs from which may now be bought
} at only $40 for setting of IS.
/ But these fancy prices do not hole
I all the way through. For example, ht
, quotes Grade A. S. c. White Leghorr
! eggs for Matching at SIS per setting o
) 49, Grade B at 81, and Grade c a
only So per setting In 100 lots thu
| prices are: Grade A, $50, Grade b
I s24 and Grade C, SIS. the latter fall
3 ing to IA cents each on lots of LOO
t eggs.
Lady Snow and Sir Reikes.
2 But wait a moment, we were abou
f to overlook small collection of eggs
/ reasonably priced at $3.50 each, or a
$35 for a setting of IS eggs. Thes
4 choice eggs are from a special per
: claimed to be the most valuable PEI
1 of Leghorns in America. Lady Snoy