March 1897.] THE IMPORT TRADE IN EGGS. 



373 



of the Langshan. Fowls are carefully tended by Norman and 

 Breton producers, and have the free run of the meadows and 

 orchards. Great attention is usually paid to the question of 

 feeding. Eggs are collected by pedlars and small dealers by 

 whom they are conveyed to the great exporting houses, where 

 they are sorted and packed before shipment. 



The number of French eggs exported from France in ] 871 

 amounted to 290 millions; 471 millions were exported in 1876; 

 310 millions in 1886 ; and 252 millions in 1895. The value of 

 these exports in 1895 was 793,000i. The number of eggs 

 imported into France, for consumption in the country, in the 

 last-mentioned year was 101 millions. 



The exports of eggs from Italy averaged about 72 millions 

 from 1867 to 1873, in 1874 and 1875 they amounted to 125 

 and 131 millions respectively, but in 1876 they rose to 356 

 millions, and ranged from 304 to 361 millions in the succeeding 

 five years to 1881. The export was maintained at about this 

 level until 1887, when it fell to 279 millions, and from 1887 to 

 1892 it ranged between that figure and 203 millions. During 

 the past three years, however, the shipments have again attained 

 their former dimensions — in 1895 they amounted to about 356 

 millions, of the value of 1,283,818?. 



In Denmark the .importance of poultry rearing as a remune- 

 rative adjunct to the ordinary business of farming began to be 

 recognised about 15 years ago, when several societies were 

 formed for the improvement of Danish poultry. French, 

 Italian, and Spanish fowls were imported to strengthen the 

 natural breeds, but it was eventually found that the Italian and 

 Spanish (Minorcas) varieties were best suited for the climate. 

 Attempts were also made to improve the original strain of the 

 country by careful selection, and at a later period Asiatic breeds 

 were introduced and largely used for crossing, in order to 

 increase the production of brown eggs, for which Danish pro- 

 ducers found there was a considerable demand in the United 

 Kingdom. In 1888 the number of poultry in Denmark was 

 estimated at about 4,500,000, and in 1893 the number was 

 ascertained to be about 5,856,000 head, thus representing an 

 increase of over 25 per cent, within five years. 



The export of eggs from Denmark have increased considerably 

 during the past 20 years. In 1866-67 the number of Danish eggs 

 exported was less than a million ; 10 years later it was nearly 

 19 millions; in 1887-88 the export was 85 millions; and in 

 1894-95 it amounted to 154 millions. Nearly the whole of 

 these exports are shipped to the United Kingdom. The imports 

 of eggs into Denmark have ranged from 10 to 20 millions 

 annually since 1888-89. 



The Danish egg trade has hitherto been for the most part in 

 the hands of a few large firms, by whom the eggs are collected, 

 sorted, and packed, but an interesting development has recently 

 taken place in the formation of a large co-operative association 

 for the exportation of eggs direct to the United Kingdom 



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