258 POUL TRY-CRAFT. 
APPENDIX. 
A Little General Information Concerning the Poultry and Allied Industries. 
The value of the poultry and eggs produced in the United States in 1890, was estimated 
at $290,000,000. This estimate was based on census returns for that year, which, though 
not complete, and not always accurate, were the best available. An analysis of the 
statistics given will convince anyone familiar with the business that if the estimate errs, 
it is not in placing an extravagant valuation on the goods in question. The statistics 
furnished by the next census will probably be more complete and more accurate, and will 
surely show an enormous increase in‘products of this class. 
On the supposition that the der capita production of poultry products continues as in 
1890, the census of 1900 should show poultry products to the value of $350,000,000; but 
as there is much reason to suppose that the rate of increase of production of eggs and 
poultry has exceeded the rate of increase. of population, it need surprise no one if the 
coming census shows an annual production of eggs and poultry approaching $400,000,000 
in value. 
Large as this sum is, it does not by any means represent the cost to consumers of the 
poultry and eggs produced. Itis assumed that one-half of the entire product is consumed 
at home by the producers, the other half being sold to non-producers. This general 
assumption is based on sufficiently accurate data from counties or towns for which such 
data has been carefully collected. 
Taking the figures for 1890 :— $290,000,000 represents the value of the crop to the 
producers. If half of this is marketed there must be added to its first cost, transportation 
charges, commissions, and retailers’ profits amounting to many millions of dollars before 
the total cost to consumers is obtained. 
When one attempts to give figures even approximately representing what is thus added 
to the value of these products, he is all at sea, for he has no statistical information to 
enable him to make good guesses; but when one considers how large a part of the 
business of the express companies is in handling eggs and poultry, alive and dressed; 
how many persons are engaged in rural districts in collecting and preparing these goods 
for market; how many in the cities in distributing them to consumers j— and when, 
further, one considers how every general store, grocery store, and meat market handles 
eggs, and nearly as many handle poultry also, it becomes easy to suppose that at least 
$50,000,000 is thus added to the original value of that part of the crop which goes to 
market; and it is not at all difficult to imagine that this increase may go nearer to the 
$100,000,000 mark. 
The figures so far given refer only to the value of the poultry product at market prices. 
They make no account of the fact that considerable quantities of eggs and a large number 
of fowls are sold annually at ‘‘fancy” prices. This trade in pure bred fowls, and in 
their eggs for hatching purposes, is of little consequence compared with the greater trade 
