MARKETING EGGS FOR HUMAN FOOD 431 
get a very accurate idea of the ratio between immediate supply 
and existing demand. The prices which prevail at these sales 
are accepted by the dealers as a guide for that day. The dealers 
hold that some such basis as this is absolutely necessary. They 
say that, without some fixed standard, speculation would be 
heavily indulged in, and the handling and storage of eggs would 
be essentially a gamble. 
Fig. 195.—Interior view of the Mercantile Exchange, New York City. 
The storage of eggs in the mammoth cold-storage houses in 
large cities has become a controlling factor in fixing the price 
of poultry products. Eggs are bought in the Western States 
during the early spring when the supply is abundant and the 
prices low. They are perfectly stored at a temperature of about 
30 degrees for several months. This wholesale buying in the 
flush of the season tends largely to keep the price from going any 
lower. In the late fall and winter, when fresh eggs become scarce, 
storage supplies are drawn upon to furnish eggs which, although 
not fresh, serve the purpose fairly well, and place this fine food 
product within the reach of almost everybody. 
