COMMERCIAL STATISTICS. 55 
thought an extravagant estimate. This would 
amount to over four million dozen. 
That there may be no reason for disputing 
his figures, Edward Atkinson puts one half an 
egg as the daily average, and counts the cost 
as only one cent each; even then the value of 
the annual egg crop would be about one hundred 
million dollars. This sum is more than the 
value of the annual product of silver or pig-iron 
or wool. 
The poultry and egg crop together are esti- 
mated to be worth two hundred and fifty million 
dollars annually to the United States. And yet 
we import annually forty-eight million dozen 
egos from Canada, France, Germany, Austria 
and Denmark. 
During the last four months of 1888, 6708 
cases, each containing fifty dozen, were thus 
brought into the United Statese This will con- 
tinue until poultry raisers demand a duty on 
foreign egos. 
Warner Miller (WV. Y. Weekly Tribune, Mar. 28, 
1888) says: ‘Farmers’ letters are almost unani- 
mous in urging increase of duties on eggs, hav- 
