1922.] Californian Poultry Raising and Marketing. 509 



various products. The producers themselves are so well aware 

 of the commercial value of a good reputation for their goods 

 that they go to considerable trouble to keep their brand uniform 

 in quality, and are the more ready to place confidence in the 

 branded grades of producers of other articles. 



The buyer of poultry foods in Petaluma is, therefore, almost 

 always willing to trust to a known mixture and rarely finds 

 his trust misplaced. He is able, in consequence, to free him- 

 self from the necessity of growing or mixing grain himself. 



Culling. — Another point upon which stress is laid is the 

 elimination of the unfit or "culling." Unfit or unpromising 

 chicks and bad layers are weeded out constantly on the prin- 

 ciple that food is lost if given to an unworthy bird. The 

 average bird is expected to lay 120 eggs in a year, and if she 

 falls below this standard by the trap-nest or other record, she 

 is sacrificed without compunction. 



Co-operative Sale of Eggs. — It is after the collection of the 

 eggs that the poultry-farmer comes within the sphere of in- 

 fluence of the co-operative society known as the Poultry Pro- 

 ducers of Central California Incorporated. Some 75 per cent, 

 of the Petaluma farmers belong to this organisation, which 

 concerns itself with the marketing of the eggs. The farmer 

 is expected to clean the eggs if necessary with a wad of steel 

 wool (this having been found to be by far the most effective 

 and least injurious method) and to grade them according to their 

 size, colour and degrees of dirtiness. He buys egg-boxes hold- 

 ing 30 dozen from the co-operative society, and delivers them 

 himself, when packed, at the society's depot. The society's 

 organisation makes it capable of obtaining the best and most 

 stable price possible for eggs, the receipts being credited to 

 the farmer according to the quantity of eggs which he has 

 delivered. 



{To he concluded.) 



