The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, April 19, 1917, Page 10

R R —aca 22 _ deteriorate . in ingMoney Out o f Eggs This i department of the Leader information farmers business men. ES S ES = S e S =S e eSO = Do You Just “Take Them to Town,” or Do You Have a System? BY HOMER DIXON HIS is the hen’s busy season. Not that the hen should be any busier now than at any other time of the year, but be- cause of the fact that it is at this season of the year that the maxi- mum egg production of the country is reached. It has been our privilege during the past year to have examined a number of farmers’ - account books, and the records of proceeds from eggs and poultry on. various farms have been striking. We find a varying amount in differ- ent farms, although the number of hens kept is practically the same. The rea- son for this seems to be found in the care that the hens receive and the system of marketing followed. 3 We find instances.of where premi- ums have been secured, through a lit- tle attention paid to gathering, grading and handling only strictly fresh eggs. In other instances we find farmers who have marketed only clean, strictly fresh eggs, but have been forced to take the same price at the dealers as was paid to the patron who brought in dirty, uncandled and ungraded eggs. NEED TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO MARKETING It seems as if the only solution to be found is either through co-operation of the producers, or for the individual producers to find a special market for their product. The producer in many instances is careless in marketing his eggs because of the fact that he has not realized the really large amount of money that his eggs are bringing him. Others will not go to the extra bother of marketing only clean and strictly fresh eggs because of the fact that they can get as much in trade for their product as is paid to the producer who handles the highly desirable prod- uct. The dealer sets a price which covers all eggs brought to him for trade, be- t¢ause he finds it a good business policy to pay a flat rate and thus retain or win the trade of his customers. It is this practice which encourages the farmer to be careless. SOME OF THE WASTES OF THE EGG SYSTEM In many cases these merchants have very poor facilities for keeping the eggs, before shipping them, and they quality during this period. When the commission men or dealers in the cities receive these eggs they have to handle them over, sorting out the “breaks” and candling the rest, so that a gcod marketable egg goes onto the market. In order to receive fair wages for his trouble the dealers has to charge the country merchant for grading and handling these eggs and of course all of this comes out of the price that is Out of every dozen eggs that leave the farm, but ten are fit to be delivered to the consumer. This immense loss must be stoppc by better methods. really paid to the producer at the be- ginning of the process. A remedy here, would be for the country merchant to demand a high class product of his patrons and trade or for the producers to demand a premium for their high class product. If the merchant is not interested in securing a clean, fresh egg, then the farmers should form some sort of a co-operative association through which they could market their product. A CO-OPERATIVE CREAMERY SUCCEEDS WITH EGGS The situation described above has been typical in many communities and is typical today in a great many places where it should not be. At Rosemount, Minnesota, the prob- lem has been solved through the co- operative creamery. We can remem- ber when this creamery was organized and also the talk about what a failure it"would soon prove to be. However, it is still alive and doing more business than ever. On April 8, 1912, they began to handle their eggs through the creamery. It was carried on as a side line, the but- termaker ordering the cartons and cases, receiving and shipping the eggs. He was allowed one cent a dozen for his services, and the financial part was taken care of by the secretary without any additional pay. In a year's time they handled 6,544 so many localities today. However, there are places where individuals will seek to market a product which will command a premium on the market and will find a very little support or interest on the part of their neighbors. For these, there remains the percel post. The postmaster general has done much to popularize the parcel post, and much has been said as to its possi- bilities in establishing direct business intercourse between the country and city. More than seven hundred dozens of eggs have been shipped experiment- ally through the mails, under varying conditions, with the result that this system has been found entirely satis- factory. A great deal depends upon the energy and business ability of the person who has eggs to market as to whether or not they can profit by this method. They must study the conditions of the market to which they intend to ship and then work to meet its demands. A product which is pleasing to the eye and which has the desired quality will usually command the advanced price. HOW TO PRODUCE BEST-KEEPING EGGS Some points to be considered by all egg producers are that the only eggs marketed should be from healthy birds which have been kept under sanitary conditions and fed good wholesome After the breeding season is food. Shipping Eggs by the Carload from Owatonna, Minn. dozen eggs and the farmers received in cash a substantial price over that received by the method they had been practicing. During the winter many of the farmers got as much as five cents a dozen more for their product. The creamery at Barnum, Minne- sota, has tried out this method for a long time and they found that it pays them and pays big. Here they required each farmer to stamp each egg so as to show the brand of the creamery and the number of the farmer. Cartons which held a dozen eggs were used and so shaped that they could be .packed into the regular egg cases for shipment to the cities. The farmers signed an agree- ment with the creamery to gather the eggs twice a day and not to deliver any eggs that were more than eight days old. All eggs were to be of a uni- form color and size and to have been kept in a cool, dry place. During the first year they had be- tween thirty and forty patrons bringing eggs and in 1911 more than 200.were bringing eggs. The highest point in -eggs received is reached in either April or may, while the lowest has invari- ably occurred in® November. These eggs sell on the Duluth market for about five cents more than the market prices during the nine months of the year. The farmers are paid cash for their eggs. Wherever a system of this kind has been started, it has been opposed to a certain extent by the merchants. But it seems that in each case the merchants have been convinced that this was the best system as they are now paid in cash for their wares and they have found that the trade will follow the merchant who has the de- sired article for sale at the right price. PARCEL POST OUTLET FOR SOME PRODUCERS ~- It seems as if the experience of these two communities. offers the logical so- lution to-the problem which is facing over, take the roosters and pen them up, as only non-fertile eggs should be marketed. A fertilized egg will deteriorate very rapidly and they are often the cause Feeding the Nation His First Patriotic Duty N histories we read of how at the time of the Revolutionary war the plow and team were the musket was taken down from its peg on the wall as the farm- ers gathered at Concord and Lexington to oppose the approach of the British. ‘We are at war again, but the times have changed. The greatest thinkers of the day are advising the farmers to remain at home and till their fields as they have never been tilled before; to prepare the ground so that it will be in the best possible condition to receive the seed which is to be put into it; to test out their seed corn and make sure that every kernel planted will grow. ‘We read that Dean Davenport of the Agricultural college of Illinois has out- lined a plan for agricultural prepared- ness much as follows: To have the war department enlist an auxiliary army of boys between the ages of 16 and 18 years old and men- past the military age, in companies and regiments to assist the farmers in in- creasing their crops. He proposes first to register all farmers, with a record of their number of acres available for tillage and the number of helpers each farmer would need to raise the maxi- mum crop from his farm. He proposes then_that the depart- TEN left standing in the field and ° This photograph shows a fiber-board box fitted with corrugated-pasteboard lining and fillers or partitions, of the same material. Each egg has a wrap of one-faced corrugated pasteboard. The lining is raised to show the eggs; it shows dark against the lid. of much loss and many a dissatisfied customer. Keep your nests and fowls clean so that the eggs will.not be soiled in ‘the nest or by mud from the feet of the birds. It is important that the eggs should be gathered at least once a day, although twice would be better. If you intend to cater to the high class trade, do not wash your eggs, as that removes the natural coating of the egg, which keeps the pores of the shell closed. Grade the eggs, so that each dozen in a package is uniform, as to color and size. It is often advisable to candle the eggs before selling them. This can be done by making a mask for a kerosene lamp, of a card board box, and cutting a hole in it so that the light will shine through. Leave an opening at the top for the heat to escape above the chim- ney and cut a few small air holes at the bottom. Then darken the room and hold the eggs before the-opening in the side of the box, which has been cut on a level with the flame of the lamp. In this way a defect can be plainly seen, and any egg which shows a defect should not be marketed. If you are interested in marketing your eggs by parcels post, write to your state experiment station for particulars as to what kind of cartons. to use and for the addresses of manu- * facturers of these cartons. SR ment of war establish military camps at convenient points, where these en- listed men may be gathered under mili- tary discipline. He would furnish from these camps a supply of workers to farmers who need help, the men to be paid the usual farm wages of the com- munity while at work and receive the usual soldiers’ pay while in camp. His plan would require every enlisted man to be either at work or in camp while in training. Time would be afforded in camps for military drill for those who needed it in order to go into the army later. The fact that food at the present time is so scarce, and that a condition of war will make a still greater demand upon our supply leads us to believe that the most useful place for the farmer in time of war is in the field, or taking care of his stock. 3 Patriotism is not hip-hip-hurrali, but more the performing of a duty which is to aid one's country in a, time of need. Surely then, it is our duty as farmers this year to make our land produce a maximum crop. We must plan to produce first, for the imme- diate needs of ourselves and families. It is important that we supply our own needs first. Make the garden produce a winter's supply of vegetables and canned goods. Make the fields produce sufficient feed for the stock and then (Continued on page 13) - -1 2