Evening star., 1928-04-07
CHICKEN FARMERS
BUSINESS IS GOOD
Huge Exports of Eggs From
U. S. Now AfIoat-Easter
Demand Is Brisk.
BY ]. G. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, April 7.--Hens all over
the country are cackling overtime this
week, and they apparently have every
right to do so. Hens have been more
efficient this year than ever before ow-
ing TO combinations of weather and to
more scientific feeding and handling.
The farmers in consequence are reaping
fine profits, and the egg money, which
formerly went to the farmers wife, now
Is one Of the main sources of income to
many agriculturalists.
Not only are the hens Of the country
providing a plentiful supply of eggs for
Easter, but those of the Pacific Slope
have furnished the cargo for the largest
single shipment of eggs ever sent out
Of producing center. Easter egg hunt
ers who are really looking for eggs
would probably find the largest nest in
the world afioat Sunday somewhere
near the Panama Canal. The British
steamer Gothic Star now is en- route
from San Francisco to Buenos Aires
with enough eggs to supply every New
York inhabitant with a three-egg
omelet.
Ship Has Huge Egg Cargo.
The Gothic Star has on board so ton
cases or 100000 individual eggs. OF
this amount 10000 cases we're supplied
by the Washington Cooperative Egg
and Poultry Association and the re-
mainder by the poultry producers of
central California, also a cooperative
organization. The cargo is refrigerated
and west sent to fill an off-season de-
mand in South America. which hitherto
has been supplied by the hens Of the
Atlantic seaboard.
The shipment Is of little CONNER
cial importance to the Western pro-
ducerS, since 1t may serve as the open
ing wedge into market for West Coast
products, which must be shipped Erder
refrigeration. This may have, a very
decided influence on shipping and ship
building. since the supply of vessels re-
frigerated space is very limited The
Gothic Star is one of the ships which
normally Is used to transport frozen
meats from Argentina TO Europe.
Getting Return Cargoes.
The fruit trade of the Pacific Coast
was more than a little disturbed last
YEAR when the largest of the American
fruit companies started regular ship
ments of bananas from Central America
to Pacific Coast ports by way OF the
Panama Canal The demand for bana-
mas has picked up and the vessels now
are taking return cargoes OF fresh vege-
tables and canned goods. II Is hoped
that perhaps the development of the
egg trade with Central America viii
serve TO bring back favorable balance
Of trade to counter banana Imports.
Central California also is shipping
about 80, 900 cases week to other sec
tons of the United States. The OF
tawa Egg g. Poultry Association Of
Michigan is sending around 800 cases
weekly TO Chicago and nearly all the
| farmers of the Middle West are send
| ing full quotas to their markets. The
| Easter demand, while temporary
stimulus is shortlived and 1t IS the
steady food requirements which are
looked to for real profits.
Prospects of Higher Values.
| After a period of low egg prices in
| Chicago, stocks have now been reduced
| so that there are excellent prospects
of higher values later on. Poultry for
killing also is proving decidedly profit
able The large packers are enlarging
their facilities for handling this kind
| of food products and are improving dis
| tribution steadily
The days OF the tough fowl are Just
| about over No matter what texture
| the meat OF a chicken may now have,
/ by the time the fowl is scientifically
| fed for two weeks the texture has al
most entirely changed and milk fed
| chicken now is the rule instead of the
exception. The feeding quarters of the
| fowls bought by the packers resemble
huge apartment houses with each fowl
In a separate pen, and subject 70 feed
ing at times and in quantities which
| assures q superior quality Of meat.
Banking Offices in England now total
o 400