THE POULTRY AND EGG INDUSTRY IN EUROPE OO 
When about to offer a lot for sale the attendant at the auction 
calls out the name of the seller and the number and jrrade of the 
eggs offered. He then starts the finger on the dial at a figure known 
to^be higher than the price that will be paid. When the finger 
reaches down to the amount which a patron is willing to pay for the 
eggs offered, he presses the button at his side, which immediately 
stops the finger and shows the number of his seat at the side of the 
dial. The eggs are then declared sold to that person and another 
lot offered. If two patrons press the button at the same instant, 
the machine locks and there is no sale. It can be seen that this 
method prevents any argument as to who made the bids and is 
more rapid than vocal auctions. A sale takes a little over a minute 
for each lot offered. 
RETAIL SELLING OF EGGS 
Eggs are sold at retail in various ways — by grocery stores, meat 
markets, public markets (fig. 22), direct from dealers to consumers 
and specialized egg stores. In such stores as grocery and meat 
markets the eggs are displayed in baskets or boxes, according to 
their grade and country of origin. These displays are not particu- 
larly attractive, because little attention is paid to the cleanliness of 
the containers, and the eggs themselves are mixtures of clean and 
dirty eggs. Practically no eggs are sold in dozen cartons. In 
England eggs are priced by the dozen. In some other countries — 
for instance. Italy — they are sold by the piece: that is. so much tt n 
egg. In the public markets and sidewalk markets throughout 
Europe, eggs are sold in special stalls. Here they are offered at 
various prices according to grade. The different grades are selected 
in accordance with their cleanliness and size rather than their interior 
quality, which may result in considerable juggling of grades. For 
instance, as in Xaples, a woman may have eggs in baskets marked 
10 or 11 or 12 soldi and she will never run out of any grade until 
her entire stock is sold. -If the eggs in the 10-soldi basket are sold 
first, she selects the poorest ones from the 11-soldi basket and renews 
the stock. If the egg> in the 11-soldi basket are sold rapidly, she 
makes selections in both directions from the 10 and 12 soldi baskets 
(fig. 23). 
In some cities, as in Rome, there are retail stores on the main 
business streets that sell nothing but eggs. In these stores the eggs 
are usually tested by electric testers before delivery to the con- 
sumer (fig. 21). It is uncommon for the seller to furnish wrapping 
paper or sacks or other containers for eggs. Usually each house- 
wife brings her own basket and buys what eggs she needs, placing 
them with other foodstuffs. When wrapping paper is available, it 
usually consists of old newspapers. Paper and twine, so commonly 
used in this country, are very sparingly used in the markets of 
Europe. 
CONSUMPTION OF EGGS IN GREAT BRITAIN 
Domestic production of eggs in Great Britain from all flocks of 
fowls in 1922 was estimated by the Ministry of Agriculture 3 at 1,750 
* Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. Great Britain. Departmental Committee on Dis- 
tribution and Prices of Agricultural Produce. Interim and final reports. 3. Meat, poul- 
try, and eggs. Pp. 104. London, 1924. 
