THE IRISH EGG INDUSTRY. 



16=5 



land, had been checked by the disturbed state 

 of the country. These efforts have lately been 

 resumed ; and still more has been done by the 

 Irish Agricultural Organisation Society (22, 

 Lincoln Place, Dublin), which works by estab- 

 lishing local co-operative societies all over 

 Ireland. These collect and forward produce, 

 and diffuse sound information amongst their 

 members, in which latter task they are aided by 

 qualified teachers sent from the central body. 

 Much of this work, of course, deals also with 

 other branches of agriculture ; but many local 

 societies thus afifiliated have chiefly to do with 

 poultry matters. These (and the head organis- 

 ation also) distribute plain and practical leaflets 

 bearing upon the production of eggs and table 

 poultry, and other details of the poultry in- 

 dustry. It is especially gratifying to observe 

 the practical and trustworthy character of the 

 teaching now thus disseminated, because at 

 an earlier period the laudable efforts of the 

 Congested Districts Board have been unfortu- 

 nately much frustrated by the incompetence 

 of advisers, destitute of practical knowledge, 

 who have either selected unhealthy stock, or 

 given advice in regard to stock from their 

 own theoretical views, rather than such as suited 

 the real requirements of the country. These 

 practical leaflets, on the other hand, have taught 

 Irish farmers to select the useful Asiatic crosses 

 mentioned in Chapter VII., and described the 

 points of table fowl, with the result that the 

 export of live birds to Surrey and Sussex has 

 largely increased, and prices been raised to 

 within a few pence of the local Sussex standard. 

 The raising of chickens for fattening is chiefly 

 carried on in Wexford, Kilkenny, and Queen's 

 County, from 2s. to 3s. each being often realised 

 at the best season for Irish birds from 2h lbs. to 

 4 lbs. weight : but co-operative societies are 

 gradually opening the eyes of farmers in other 

 districts to this profitable trade. A few societies 

 are even encouraging fattening in Ireland itself, 

 for the London and Liverpool markets, but 

 the bulk of the export of spring chickens is of 

 li\-e birds through Kilkenny, as before stated. 

 In the Belfast district many fine fowls come 

 to market at Lisburn, Saintfield, and other 

 adjacent towns. These, as a rule, are well fed 

 but not fatted, and, owing to the greater length 

 of the journey, cannot compete in quality with 

 Sussex birds, which get to London the night 

 of the same day they are killed. Co-operation 

 is however improving the packing, and con- 

 sequently the condition and price of these birds. 

 In large districts, however, there is even yet no 

 regular m-arket, and chickens can only be sold 

 for 6d. to gd. each to local customers. Such 



chickens are however small, killed as they run, 

 and not perhaps worth very much more. 



The Society above referred to has, however, 

 attained its most definite results in re-organising 

 the Irish egg trade. Formerly the cottagers 

 sold their eggs chiefly to women 

 Irish dealers, who usually added 4d. per 



Egg Trade. 120 for collection to what they paid, 

 on selling to the larger dealers, or to 

 local shops, the latter chiefly paying for them in 

 groceries. In either case the bulk of the eggs 

 were generally a week to four weeks old when 

 collected for actual export, and the eggs were 

 often dirty, and of all sizes and sorts. A great 

 deal of the Irish egg trade is still carried on in 

 this way, which keeps these eggs at a lower price 

 than good foreign. The Organisation Society 

 engaged an expert from the export trade of 

 Denmark, Mr. Viggo Schwartz, to instruct the 

 local societies in the best Continental methods 

 of sorting and packing ; and we are glad to 

 record that wherever the teaching of these has 

 permeated, the people have been quick to seize 

 it and understand its pecuniary value. The 

 following account of the work that was done 

 is by Mr. Viggo Schwartz, and will show the 

 great improvement that was effected in this 

 important branch of Irish industry : — 



" It is only a few years ago that the egg 

 trade was so much neglected in Ireland, and 

 so ill-managed, that the Liverpool and Glas- 

 gow merchants began to threaten to refuse to 

 buy any more Irish eggs unless the exporters 

 would im.prove their parcels on lines similar 

 to those which the foreign exporters had 

 introduced. As, however, the merchants were 

 unable to give any guarantee that better 

 prices would be paid for fresher and cleaner 

 eggs than had been hitherto paid, the farmers 

 continued to send their produce to market as 

 before. Very often the eggs arrived in a 

 stale condition, packed in damp straw and 

 most repellent cases, and such consignments 

 were fast doing great harm to the Irish egg 

 trade in general. 



" It was at this juncture that the Irish Agri- 

 cultural Organisation Societj^ began to form 

 local co-operative societies among Irish poultry- 

 keepers, and to introduce amongst them better 

 methods of carrying on their business. The 

 Society's object is to infuse into the agricultural 

 population of Ireland a spirit of self-reliance, 

 and to show them how, by combination and 

 mutual help, they could give effect to that 

 spirit in a way calculated to better both the 

 individual and the community. These local 

 Poultry Societies are formed for the double 

 purpose of improving the breeds and methods 



