POULTRY PRODUCTION AND POULTRY INDUSTRY 23 



The reason for this difference probahly lies in the unique- 

 ness (if eggs among human foods, their high digcstihihty,' 

 liealtlifuhiess owing to their \ita,inin content, and general 

 attraetiA'cness. It is likely to continue mitil some economic 

 condition arises wherehy the ])oultry carcass becomes more 

 highly valued by the general public, in comparison with tlie 

 egg, than at present. In the light of recent discoveries con- 

 cerning their content of food accessories or vitamins, eggs are 

 likely to increase in esteem, rather than decrease. 



Altliough the eggs of ducks and guineas find their way 

 into the regular channels of trade, their number is so small 

 when compared with the numljer of hens' eggs as to make 

 them practically a negligible quantity. Turkey and goose 

 eggs are used for hatching purposes only. 



"The output of eggs is steadily growing, but the demand 

 is growing even faster than the supply, due to the increased 

 price of meat, as well as a preference for eggs as food; hence 

 the price of eggs has risen. In 1899 the farm price was 

 11.15 cents per dozen, as an average for the United States; 

 in 1909 the average was 19.7 cents, weighted according to 

 monthly production. "^ 



The average farm price per dozen eggs on the first .lay of 

 each month from January, 1910 to August, 1920 is shown 

 in Table V. 



As indicative of the advance in prices of poultry as well 

 as eggs during the last twenty-four years, the weighted 

 average New York prices (estimated), furnished by the 

 " Urner-Barry Company," New York '.'ity, are given in 

 Table YI. These prices represent those paid wholesale 

 receivers by jol)bers for western ]jroducts, all grades con- 

 sidered excejjt extras in the case of eggs. 



^ Several investigations reported by Laiigworthy show that 95 per cent 

 of the dry matter of the edible portion of the egg is digested by man. In 

 detail the digestibility of the various constituents of the edible portion was: 

 protein, 90 to 98 per cent; lecithin, 91 per cent; neutral fat, 95 to 9S per 

 cent; ash, 70 per cent — Farmers' Bulletin, 12S. 



^ Pennington and Pierce, Year-book of United States Department of 

 Agriculture, 1910. 



