6 EXPORT OF EGGS. 



by runners commonly boys from nine years old and upwards, 

 each of whom has a regular beat, which he goes over, daily, 

 bearing back the produce of his toil, carefully stowed in a 

 small hand-basket. I have frequently met with these boys, 

 on their rounds, and the caution, necessary for bringing in 

 their brittle ware, with safety, seemed to have communicated 

 an air of business and steadiness to their manner, unusual to 

 the ordinary volatile habits of children in Ireland. I recollect 

 one little barefooted fellow, explaining that he travelled, daily, 

 about twelve Irish miles (above fifteen English miles). His 

 allowance, or rather his gain, was one shilling upon every six 

 score of eggs brought in the risk, purchase, and carriage rest- 

 ing entirely on himself. The prices vary from time to time, at 

 different periods of the year ; but they are never changed, without 

 previous notice to the runners. In the height of the season, the 

 prices, at Lanesborough, were from 2s. 6d. to 4s. per 120 ; but 

 towards the winter they rise to 5s. The eggs are packed in layers 

 with straw, in such crates as are commonly used for the convey- 

 ance of earthenware. Each crate will hold about eighty-four 

 hundred, of six score that is, 10,080 eggs, the first cost being 

 from 10 10s. to 16 6s. per crate. These are sent forward, on 

 speculation, to Dublin, or, occasionally, at once to the English 

 market, and a profit of 4 or 5 per crate, is considered a fair re- 

 muneration. Sometimes it is more, and sometimes it is less, and 

 there is risk in the trade. From Lanesborough the crates are 

 sent over-land to Killashee the nearest place on the line of the 

 Royal Canal and forwarded by the trading boats to Dublin. At 

 Tarmonbarry I saw several cars come laden with crates of eggs, 

 from the neighbouring districts, on each side of the river." 



The following statements by M. Legrand, a member of the 

 French Statistical Society, on the production and consumption of 

 eggs, in France, may not prove uninteresting: "In 1813, the 

 number of eggs exported from France was 1,754,140. Between 

 1816 and 1822, the numbers exported rose rapidly from 8,733,000 

 to 55,717,500; and in 1834, the number had increased to 

 90,441,600. In 1835, 76,190,120 were exported for England; 

 60,800 for Belgium ; 49,696 for the United States ; 42,960 for 

 Switzerland ; 34,800 for Spain ; and 306,304 to other parts of the 

 world. The total amount of the exportations for the year was 

 3,828,284 francs. The consumption in Paris is calculated at 1 15| 

 eggs per head, or 101,012,400. The consumption in other parts 

 of France, may be reckoned at double this rate, as in many parts 

 of the country, dishes composed of eggs and milk, are the prin- 



