68 THIRTY CENT BREAD 



research laboratory of the Federal Department of 

 Agriculture, becomes more threatening every day. 

 As the practice of food economy becomes a stern 

 necessity the egg situation clamors for reform. 



The value of the eggs produced annually in the 

 United States prior to 1917 is about $250,000,000. 

 In 1917, as we shall see, the value of the eggs pro- 

 duced will be somewhere between $400,000,000 and 

 $500,000,000. 



Estimated on the figures of 1914, 1915, and 1916, 

 eggs to the value of $50,000,000 are completely lost 

 every year. This year the loss, unless checked 

 through the appeal of Commissioner Houston to the 

 farmers, will total $100,000,000 or more. 



Dr. Pennington declares that in addition to this 

 complete loss there is another loss of 30 per cent, 

 due to deterioration in handling. 



Dr. Pennington admits that her estimate of this 

 loss is possibly a little too conservative, the trade 

 people putting it much higher. The Chicago packers 

 admit it is three times higher, or ordinarily $150,- 

 000,000 annually. 



In April eggs start on their way from the farm to 

 the icehouse subject to all the vicissitudes of ouf 

 present imperfect system of distribution. 



§ 48 — ^ai,i<owe;d to spoil 



The farmer collects from his nests every day for 

 a period of perhaps a week or two weeks. When 

 he has gathered sufficient eggs to make a shipment 

 he forwards the product to the assembler, who gath- 

 ers eggs from many other farmers. When the 

 assembler obtains sufficient eggs to make a carload 



