DISTRIBUTING BY PARCEL POST 433 



all in good faith, no doubt, but unless the eggs are produced on 

 his own farm, the poultryman has no i;eal warranty as to their 

 quality. He must depend upon the word of others, and fre- 

 quently such assurances are not dependable. The quality be- 

 comes uncertain, complaints are made, and confidence is shat- 

 tered. Altogether, the practice is a risky one, and in a measure 

 it is a misrepresentation — unfair dealing. 



Lost Confidence. — It is strange, perhaps, how quickly a cus- 

 tomer will lose faith in the source of an egg supply, especially if 

 the dealer is making attractive claims for the product. You 

 may serve a household with eggs of the best quality for weeks 

 and months, with never a complaint, when suddenly there is 

 trouble. Maybe two or three eggs in a consignment are slightly 

 stale, or they have a peculiar flavor, or they contain blood clots; 

 immediately the consumer loses confidence, the loss of which is 

 no easy task to recover. 



Private Trade.- — In the outlets just described the business is 

 more or less of a wholesale nature, yet many of the middle profits, 

 notably those of the commission merchant and jobber, have been 

 eliminated. There still remains, however, the profit taken by 

 the retail dealer, which usually amounts to about five cents a 

 dozen. Surely this profit is worth striving for, and may be had 

 if the poultryman will make an effort to reach a private trade 

 direct. 



If the farm is situated within easy driving distance of a large 

 community, the problem is a simple one : the poultryman can 

 make regular deliveries about twice a week. If this is not 

 practicable, shipments can be made by parcel post, or by express, 

 or the poultryman can establish a delivery in the city and have 

 his eggs shipped to the city in large quantities, whence they are 

 distributed. 



Parcel Post. — It is practicable to ship eggs by parcel post, so 

 far as the security of the packages is concerned. If the containers 

 are returned and used over and over, the charges are greatly re- 

 duced. There are many types of carriers on the market, generally 

 made of corrugated paper, which are strong and durable and yet 

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