HOW EGGS ARE MARKETED 
merchants, who through numerous ways available in a small 
town, may retaliate and injure the creamery patronage to an 
extent greater than the newly installed egg business will 
repay. 
Third: The agreement of the merchants to turn all egg 
buying over to a single produce buyer. This has been suc- 
cessfully done in a few instances, but there are not many 
towns in which those interested will stick to such an agree 
ment. The worst fault with this plan is that the moment the 
egg buyer is given a monopoly he is tempted to lower the 
farmer’s prices for the purpose of increasing his own profits. 
Fourth: A modification of the above scheme is the case 
in which the produce buyer is on a salary and in the em- 
ployment of the merchants. This scheme has been success- 
fully carried into effect in some Nebraska towns. It may be 
the ultimate solution of the egg buying in the West. It 
eliminates the temptation of the buyer to use his privilege of 
monopoly to fatten his own pocket-book. The weakness of 
the plan is that a salaried man’s efficiency in the close bar- 
gaining necessary to sell the goods is inferior to that of the 
man trading for himself. Other difficulties are: Getting a 
group of merchants who will live up to such an agreement; 
the farmers object to driving to two places; the competition 
of other towns; the merchants’ realization that, the farmer 
with cash in his pocket or a check good at all stores, is not 
as certain a trader as one standing, egg basket on arm, before 
the counter; and last, and most convincing, the merchant’s 
further realization that any fine Saturday morning, with eggs 
selling at fifteen cents at the produce house, he may stick out 
a card “Sixteen Cents Paid for Eggs” and make more money 
in one day than his competitors did all week. 
Fifth: Co-operative egg buying by the farmers themselves. 
This has been discussed in a previous chapter. It is all right 
in localitiés where the business is big enough to warrant it 
and the farmers are intelligent and enthusiastic to back it 
up and stick to it. 
The High Grade Egg Business. 
There are many excellent opportunities for men of moderate 
capital and ability in the high grade egg trade. The pro- 
duce business on its present line, either at the country end or 
at the city end, is as open as any well-known form of busi- 
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