432 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



his customers at only a small advance over what he allows them 

 for their scrub stock. The result is that there is already a marked 

 improvement in the quality of the poultry marketed at his place. 



"I am ready to add my mite toward helping to arouse an in- 

 terest in good poultry, that it may hasten the day when the market- 

 man will be forced to discriminate between choice poultry and 

 scrubs, just as the grocer now does between creamery and country 

 butter." — Miss Annie Hoffarth. 



As to the second part of the market proposition, it may be 

 said that the farmer may also be at fault. 



One of the most prominent poultry raisers in Missouri writes, 

 under date of August 25, "Eggs that have been coming to market 

 for three months have been running from 30 to 60 per cent off, 

 with the result that such eggs have been selling in case lots at 

 from 13 to 15 cents per dozen. These same eggs, when sorted and 

 candled, have been bringing 20 to 21 cents per dozen, while my- 

 self and other poultry fanciers have been, and are selling our sur- 

 plus product for eating purposes at 30 to 35 cents per dozen." This 

 same writer adds, ''Spring chickens, weighing 1 to 1^ pounds each, 

 are ready sale during March and best part of April at $6 to $7 

 per dozen. They must, however, be fed so as to attain this size 

 and weight at eight and not over nine weeks. A large poultry 

 plant, capable of supplying eggs (every egg stamped and dated) 

 and poultry of quality in quantities sufficient to fill the wants of 

 our best hotels and restaurants will, in my opinion, be a profitable 

 venture." 



All stock should be sorted. "A high-priced buyer will not 

 want the inferior stock at any price ; therefore, if different grades 

 are mixed, the good stock will have to go to the cheap buyer." 

 Farmers who cannot market eggs every few days, should be pre- 

 pared to test them and to know that they are selling none but good 

 eggs. Only a very simple contrivance is needed for candling, the 

 principle being that the fresh egg when placed at the end of a 

 tube or funnel of suitable size or in an opening beyond which there 

 is a strong light, appears clear and bright, .showing no dark spot. 

 Some dealers buy eggs with the loss off, deducting for bad ones 

 which fail to stand the test when candled. 



Cold storage has, by acting as a balance wheel, rapidly revolu- 

 tionized the poultry business. Eggs no longer "sell for a song" in 

 summer time. There is also a demand for poultry throughout the 

 year, because of refrigeration. Most Missouri poultry is sold alive, 

 then taken to the plants, where it is dressed, packed and prepared 



