786 READINGS IN RURAL ECONOMICS 



established themselves at the more important centers of trade 

 for the purpose of handling products such as eggs and butter. 

 What at one time proved to be the most advantageous method 

 of marketing eggs locally both for the farmer and country 

 merchant also offered advantages to a certain class of dealers 

 in the large cities. In other words, the very existence of the 

 kind of egg-marketing made necessary locally because of the 

 status of the early farmer and country merchant also made 

 necessary a certain type of middleman in the leading marts of 

 trade. In order to appreciate the position and function of the 

 middleman agency thus rendered indispensable, it will be neces- 

 sary to revert to the local communities and analyze more carefully 

 the nature of the handling of poultry and eggs by the farmer 

 and country merchant. 



The most striking fact relating to the care of poultry and 

 eggs under the earlier type is the utter lack of attention given 

 to it. During the major portion of the year the flock of chickens 

 was left to take care of itself. In the same way that cattle were 

 allowed to graze over vast stretches of free land with no inter- 

 ruption except that of the annual "round-up," so, too, the 

 chickens of the early farm roamed at will, gathering food where- 

 ever their scratching brought results and depositing eggs wherever 

 surroundings suggested a minimum of disturbance. The hennery 

 was a place of last resort, sought out as the seat of refuge against 

 the invasion of wild animals or inclement weather. From fall 

 until spring the accumulation of filth often went on unabated. 

 In places momentary relief may have been afforded by a cover- 

 ing of straw. The situation as a whole, however, is not inaccu- 

 rately reflected by saying that frontier farmers rarely took the 

 time to clean their chicken houses. In such a place, with poor 

 ventilation and poor light, the fowls were huddled together, 

 pending the cold season, and handed a ration of feed the quan- 

 tity and quality of which were determined by the " leavings " 

 conveniently at hand and unfit for other uses rather than by the 

 needs of the poultry. The limited attention given to the care of 

 poultry devolved upon those who presumably had time to spare. 

 It was not regarded as a man's job, but was usually left to the 



