12 AN EGG FARM. 



less to transport eggs and fowls from this region of cheap 

 corn to points where both corn and poultry products are 

 comparatively dear, than to ship to the latter vicinity 

 the grain from which these products are formed. Sev- 

 enty years ago nearly every pound of provisions in the 

 whole land was consumed within twenty miles of where 

 it was raised ; but now, since "many run to and fro, and 

 knowledge is increased," there is a growing tendency 

 toward shipments to great distances. It is common 

 for the market to contain food supplies, the principal 

 articles of which are from various localities a thousand 

 or two thousand miles apart, while some are from even 

 the most distant parts of the globe. A natural law of 

 competition, as persistent as the attraction of gravitation, 

 compels the production of commodities where the facili- 

 ties are the best, unless the freight to the point of con- 

 sumption is great enough to offset these facilities. But 

 freight rates grow less and less as the machinery of 

 transportation, like all other machinery, is constantly 

 improved. 



In treating of a location near a northern city, the 

 advantages of delivering fresh eggs at an extra price 

 direct to the consumers, without the intervention of a 

 middleman, were set forth. A portion of the whole 

 number of large scale poultry men will continue to avail 

 themselves of these advantages, yet the tendency will 

 be, in the future, for the production of a great and 

 increasing proportion of eggs and poultry meat at points 

 hundreds of miles distant from the consumers. The 

 science of distribution if it may be so called has been 

 constantly improving, the machinery of the produce 

 commission business having been brought to a great 

 pitch of perfection. Even the multiplication of depart- 

 ment stores, which marks an important era in the dis- 

 tribution of commodities, has a bearing on our subject. 

 As the retail food market division of one of these great 



