NOTED CENTRES OF PRODUCTION 



11 



eggs shipped to the eastern markets are classified as " westerns " 

 and come from this section of the country. This section consti- 

 tutes the " backbone of the egg industry," and a brief account of 

 the conditions is here given (Fig. 7). 



In the Central States production is not continuous throughout 

 the year, as climatic conditions affect the laying. In Kentucky 

 and Tennessee the season of natural production is from December 



Fig. 7. — Noted centres of poultry production. In California the Petaluma district; 

 in Massachusetts the "South Shore" Roaster district; in Rhode Island the Little Compton 

 district; in New Jersey the Hunterdon and the Vineland districts. Darkly shaded States 

 are the leading poultry States, lighter shaded ones come next. 



to April. During March and April the supply from Ohio and 

 Missouri appears on the market; this is supplemented by eggs 

 from Texas and Kansas. Later in the spring the central northern 

 States, Minnesota and Michigan, supply the markets with eggs. 

 The supplies of both the southern and northern sections of this 

 egg belt fail to meet the demand of the consuming public. The 

 population in this section is limited, and large quantities of eggs 

 are shipped to the centres of population to supplement production 

 in those sections. Owing to the cheap price of grain and land, the 

 eggs from central sections compete very profitably with those pro- 

 duced near large markets, even with lower prices and poorer 

 quality. 



The eggs produced during the early spring are usually of fine; 

 quality. But they are produced on farms where advantages of 



