820 READINGS IN RURAL ECONOMICS 



of the surplus stock in the spring. The occurrence of the latter 

 difficulty a year ago was the main cause in changing to the 

 present method. 



According to the new plan another improvement has been 

 made aside from the method of stamping. Eggs are now divided 

 into three grades : 



1. Standard or best, weighing 25 ounces or over. 



2. Medium, weighing 24 ounces. 



3. Lower grade, weighing 23 ounces to the dozen. No eggs 

 weighing less than 23 ounces to the dozen are allowed in car- 

 tons. Such eggs may be shipped, however, in separate cases. 



Great importance is attached to the new plan of grading by 

 weight and paying according to weight. The price variation is 

 I cent between each grade. If the lower grade is worth 25 cents, 

 the medium will bring 26 cents, and the best, 27 cents per dozen. 



Before the plan was adopted, rules or fines had been used by 

 the farmers but with little avail. On the other hand, after the 

 grades were established by weight and payment made accordingly, 

 the farmers began to take steps to supply the heavier or larger 

 eggs. As a result, a movement was started to improve the 

 quality of fowls as rapidly as possible. Before the change was 

 made many eggs came in weighing as little as nineteen ounces to 

 the dozen. Since that time the farmers have gradually adopted the 

 habit of keeping the small eggs for household use. The great bulk 

 of the eggs now marketed average twenty-five ounces to the dozen. 



The new plan of grading eggs according to weight has reacted 

 favorably upon average price returns received by the farmers at 

 Dassel. A year ago the margin received above the market price 

 during the surplus season was i cent a dozen. Last spring it 

 was never less than 2' cents a dozen. This margin varies for 

 different seasons of the year, running as high as 6 or 8 cents 

 above the market price during late fall and early winter. For 

 the entire year the margin above market quotations for " firsts " 

 averages 3 cents. 



When the handling of eggs in cartons was first started by 

 the farmers at Dassel, they experienced considerable difficulty 

 in working up a market. It was necessary to demonstrate that 



