POULTRY PRODUCTION AND POULTRY INDUSTRY 27 



to a less degree, wheat production have been, which tend to 

 be replaced by crops yielding more food units per acre. 

 Poultry and eggs have been from the first, as beef is gradually 

 becoming, for the most part by-products of general agri- 

 culture. It was not until long after most of the present-day 

 industries which emanated from the farm had become 

 fairly well established that poultry raising with its associated 

 industries began to be accounted an industry and recognized 

 as of any commercial importance. 



This was largely due to two associated causes. The first 

 is the high perishability of both poultry arid eggs and the 

 second the poor means of transportation in early days. 



Commercially the poultry industry as a whole is dependeint 

 upon present-day improved transportation facilities, and 

 the history of its development has very largely paralleled 

 the history of the development of the modern common car- 

 riers and advanced with the improvement of refrigerator 

 cars. It was not until around 1869 when the refrigerator 

 ' was first brought into use for long distance hauling that means 

 was afforded for transporting poultry products from the 

 farm to the city and production beyond that demanded by 

 home needs became an object and poultry a source of any 

 considerable money income. 



Present Organization of .the Poultry Industry. — The 

 poultry industry is at present made up of several more or 

 less clearly defined coordinate industries which have' to do 

 with growing and marketing poultry and poultry products. 

 Taking their names from the resjiective industries in which 

 they are employed, the persons engaged in tthe poultry 

 industry as a whole may be designated as (1) production- 

 breeders; (2) fanciers land fancier-breeders; (3) producers; 

 (4) buyers; (5) packers and (6) distributers. 



While this classification holds true, it should be clearly 

 recognized that there is no hard-and-fast line between the 

 classes, and that the same person often engages in two or 

 more lines of work. Thus the producer of the best type 

 carries on breeding operations within certain limits. The 

 breeder ought to be somewhat of a fancier, and the packer 

 is usually a buyer and distributer as well. 



