POULTRY 429 



nearly three-fourths of the running expenses of all our 

 public schools. The fowls themselves are worth above two 

 hundred million dollars. 



The ten leading poultry states. Ten states supply 

 about fifty-four per cent, of all the eggs we produce. These 

 states are Missouri, Iowa, Ohio, Illinois, Kansas, Indiana, 

 Texas, Pennsylvania, New York and Michigan. 



The percentage of the entire egg crop produced by each 

 of these ten states is as follows : 



Missouri 7.0% 



Iowa 6.9% 



Ohio 6.3% 



Illinois 6.3% 



Kansas 5.1% 



Indiana 5.1% 



Texas 4.9% 



Pennsylvania 4.7% 



New York 4.6% 



Michigan 3.8% 



2. Poultry Raising os a Farm Industry 



There are several good reasons why the raising of poul- 

 try should occupy a more important place than it now does 

 on most of our farms all over the United States, especially 

 in the South and West. 



Increasing demands for eggs and poultry. Eggs 

 form one of the most necessary and palatable articles of 

 food. With improved methods of shipping, parcel post 

 service and cold storage they have increasingly become a 

 staple on almost every table, city as well as country. The 

 prices are high, a dozen eggs bringing the farmer about as 

 much as a pound of butter. The demand for fowl as a sup- 

 plement to other kinds of meat has also greatly increased, 

 and there is now a ready market throughout the year for all 

 kinds of poultry suitable for the table. 



