1906.] 



The Marketing of Poultry. 



395 



THE MARKETING OF POULTRY. 



The demand for high-class poultry in Great Britain has very 

 greatly increased in recent years, and, even apart from the growth 

 in the population, there appears to be ample room for extension. 

 In addition to large supplies which are received from Ireland, 

 poultry, including fowls, geese, ducks, and turkeys, is imported 

 from Russia, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Belgium, and 

 the United States and Canada. The total value of the imports 

 in 1905 was ^906,000, to which Russia contributed ^^275,000, 

 France £22^,000, Belgium ^194,000, and the United States 



1 52,000. The amounts credited to France and Belgium 

 include, it is believed, consignments from Italy, Germany, and 

 other Continental countries coming through French and Belgian 

 ports. The Russian supplies, which are sold generally at low 

 prices, compete with unfattened poultry, while the American 

 and other imported fowls are generally fattened. Russian 

 poultry begins to arrive in December, and the supply generally 

 lasts till May or June. 



The best markets in the country are those of Leadenhall and 

 Smithfield, in London, but to obtain good prices there the birds 

 sent up must be very carefully fed. A recent report by the 

 Irish Department of Agriculture contains the following remarks 

 on this subject : — 



/'London is generally believ^ed to be, practically, the only 

 market in the United Kingdom for the sale of crammed 

 chickens. Crammers usually send their consignments to sales- 

 men in Leadenhall and Central Markets, and their experience 

 has shown that for the very best and finest quality birds of 5 lb. 

 weight and upwards, London is undoubtedly the most profitable 

 outlet. The '' returns " in some instances, however, have dis- 

 played great disparities in prices in the same consignment, and 

 this is alleged to be due to difference in size and variation in 

 quality. Where the latter is the case, the remedy lies 'with the 

 sender, who should exercise more care in selecting his birds for 

 fattening and in grading them for sale purposes. In the former 

 case it is possible that for sizes under 5 lb. as good or better 

 markets exist in the provinces. 



" The market in London is apparently never overstocked with 

 crammed birds of best quality 5 lb. each and over. Smaller 



