336 POULTRY BREEDING AND MANAGEMENT 



retailer. That means five middlemen. Some of these mid- 

 dlemen, however, have been eliminated in many markets. 



By far the largest proportion of eggs reach the consumer 

 by the indirect route. The reason is largely because the 

 community of interest or co-operative spirit is not highly 

 developed among the farmers or producers. It is fair to 

 say that during the past two or three years considerable 

 progress has been made in improving the service and lessen- 

 ing the cost of marketing eggs by the direct as well as in- 

 direct method. The business of buying eggs on commission 

 and the abuses that followed have been largely eliminated 

 in most of the large markets. The bulk of the business is 

 now done by large jobbers. The service has been improved 

 and the cost of marketing reduced. Many of these jobbers 

 have large storage plants, which afford an outlet for sur- 

 plus stock during the season of plenty. 



How the Costs are Added. The tabular exhibit on 

 page 337 shows how, through -the indirect method, the costs 

 are added to the egg in New York City before it reaches the 

 consumer. It is taken from a report of a State Food In- 

 vestigating Commission. 



The cost of marketing is here shown to be over 50% of 

 the amount received by the producer. This would not apply 

 to all markets ; the cost would be less in some. In a western 

 state on July 30, farmers were receiving 22y 2 cents a dozen 

 in trade from the local stores, or 21 cents in cash. The 

 local stores received 22^ cents from the jobbers after pay- 

 ing express charges to the city one hundred miles distant. 

 The retailer paid the jobber 27 cents, and the retailer sold 

 the eggs to the consumer at 30 cents to 35 cents, depending 

 on the grade. Good eggs that the producer received 21 

 cents for were sold to the consumer for 35 cents. Eggs 

 from another producer that were not as good were paid for 

 at the same rate, 21 cents, but were finally sold to the con- 

 sumer for 30 cents. 



