Poultry Meeting at Columbia. 439 



to select good breeds of chickens, lake care of them in a good 

 manner, and produce eggs which are larger and cleaner. He 

 should kill off all breeding males as soon as the breeding season 

 is over and in this way eliminate a large percentage of blood 

 rings and rots in eggs. The country storekeeper should be 

 taught to buy on a loss-off basis instead of case count, since 

 buying on case count places a premium on bad eggs and en- 

 courages their production. The practice of taking it out in 

 trade at the country store should be eliminated for a cash 

 basis instead of credit being employed. The great cause of 

 losses in eggs is at the source of production. Improvement 

 has been made in the channels of trade in the better handling 

 of poultry products because of competition and realization of 

 the importance of better business methods. When the farmer 

 is brought to realize that nearly one-fourth of his profits from 

 eggs is thrown away because of carelessness, he will see to it 

 that better methods are employed in handling those products 

 and will eliminate a portion of the enormous losses which are 

 occurring at the present time. 



THE CANADIAN CO-OPERATIVE EGG CIRCLES. 



(C. A. Webster, department of poultry husbandry, University of Missouri.) 



The common hen is coming into her I'ightful place on the 

 farm. More and more attention is being given to poultry. 

 Poultry produces in the State of Missouri, according to the 

 United States census for 1910, an annual value of $125.40 for 

 every farm in the State and the hen is just swinging into her 

 stride. These figures are bound to increase. 



Let us consider the reason for the success of the Missouri 

 farmer with poultry. Is it due to his care and attention? 

 Rather is it in spite of his methods. Missouri, with her favor- 

 able environment and climatic conditions, is adapted by nature 

 for the profitable raising of poultry. 



When we examine the average farmer's methods we find 

 a great lack of proper care and attention. The housing is poor; 

 the chickens are raised in small, crowded areas, and the eggs are 

 not properly stored nor marketed in the best manner. Ninety 

 per cent of the eggs marketed in Missouri during the later 

 spring months and throughout the summer are from two to 

 three days under incubation. The males are allowed to range 



