430 



COMMERCIAL POULTRY RAISING 



Eastern cities come from the Central States, over a route about 

 as follows: 



The farmer collects his eggs whenever he is of the mind to do 

 so — maybe it is every day or twice a week, and from nests scattered 

 about the farm buildings, under wheat shocks and in the brush. 

 If they are fairly plentiful, he will take them to the general store 

 (just as he has found them), in a basket, on an average of once a 

 week. Or, perhaps the farmer lives in a section visited by an 

 agent who drives from farm to farm gathering eggs in small 





{,Courlesy U. S. Dep't Agriculture) 

 Fig. 276. — Interior of a Western feeding station for handling live poultry. 



quantities. See Fig. 270. When the local merchant has col- 

 lected a number of cases he disposes of them to a wholesale buyer, 

 who is usually the representative of a large commission house in 

 the East. The local merchant probably makes his shipment by 

 freight to save expense. The wholesale bu\-er collects in case 

 lots until he has enough for a carload, which is generalh- sent 

 East in a refrigerator car. He may have repacked the eggs 

 in new cases after candling them, or sold them case count. When 

 the commission house receives the carload, the eggs are sorted 



