215 



applies particularly to eggs, which in this respect resemble dairy 

 products. 



In the United States, for example, the consumption of eggs per 

 capita increased noticeably in the period 1880-1910 * ; and in the 

 United Kingdom between 1900 and 1913 the imports of eggs 

 increased at a greater rate than the population, \vhile it is known 

 that the home production increased considerably at the same time. 2 



From the present point of vie v table poultry and eggs stand 

 in different classes. The former are more or less a luxury, within 

 the reach of the wealthier people only, among town-dwellers; 

 and though more generally consumed in the country districts, the 

 birds so consumed are more the inferior grades that do not find 

 a ready market in the towns. These statements are probably less 

 true for North America, where poultry are more numerous in pro- 

 portion to the population than in Western Europe. Nevertheless 

 it remains on the whole true that poultry nowhere except in very 

 special districts, form a considerable item in the diet of the meat- 

 consuming populations of the world. 



Eggs are much more widely consumed than poultry, and in times 

 of plenty and low prices may reach even the poorer classes among 

 industrial workers. In the country districts of almost all grain- 

 growing regions, and throughout the more settled parts of North 

 America and the Southern Hemisphere, eggs are freely consumed 

 by all classes from the richest to the poorest. In Russia and parts 

 of China also, where eggs are often very abundant and cheap, they 

 are apparently consumed in considerable quantities by the poorer 

 peasant population, and serve to some extent as a substitute for 

 meat. 



The food value of eggs in proportion to weight and to the normal 

 prices is not very high, 3 though the available nutriment has the 

 advantage of being easily and completely assimilated, if the quanti- 

 ties consumed are not excessive. The popularity of eggs as a food- 

 stuff is due to various special causes ; their keeping qualities are 



1 The egg production of the United States has been estimated as follows 

 (U.S. Dept. Agric. Bureau of Statistics, Bulletin 24) : 



1880 456-9 million doz. 9-1 per cap. (doz.) 



1890 819-7 13-1 



1900 1293-6 17-0 



1909 1591-3 17-6 



Exports have been trifling, especially in recent years, so that consumption 

 may be taken as equivalent to production. See also Bureau Statistics, 

 Bulletin, 55 p. 84: "It can hardly be questioned that the consumption of 

 poultry and eggs has increased in a large degree in the last quarter century 

 or so " 



2 See Part III., Ch. iii., p. 301, Note 4. 



8 The energy value of eggs per kilo has been given at 1,353 calories as com- 

 pared with 2,687 calories for that of British home-killed beef. The latter 

 however, has a higher proportion of protein, so that eggs contain about half 

 the nourishing value of good beef pound for pound. The above figures are 

 those of Prof. Thompson (Cd. 8421), p. 8. Atwater's figures show a some- 

 what higher calories value for eggs compared with beef. (Highest beef 

 value = 1,120 calories per lb., hens' eggs 645 calories per Ib.) 



