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 I 3 1924 013 840 271 
 
The Cost of Marketing Eggs 
 in 1917 
 
 Including a BRIEP of the pertinent facts; a compila- 
 tion of the FACTOKS OF COST; the cost of 
 TYPICAL OPERATIONS, and some gen- 
 eral information about the crop. 
 
 Prepared at the request of 
 
 Mr. HORACE C. GARDNER 
 
 for the 
 
 UNITED STATES FOOD ADMINISTRATION 
 
 By 
 
 PAUL MANDEVILLE 
 
 Chicago, Septemher 1917 
 
 The writer endeavors to make the simplest statement 
 that will at the same time give a correct view to one 
 outside the egg trade. A perfectly simple table of 
 costs cannot be made, for reasons mentioned in the brief. 
 "While the subject is before the public, members of the 
 trade are sometimes asked for facts that are common 
 Knowledge within the trade and an orderly arrangement 
 of same may prove convenient also for their reference. 
 

 (^^^j^^f» 
 
BRIEF 
 
 It is the general belief of experienced men in the 
 egg business that reasonable economy of operation has 
 been attained. The trade have on the whole been open 
 to new ideas, and few lines have attracted so many 
 experimental movements as the egg business. If prac- 
 tice in this line may be found backward compared 
 with other lines of merchandising, it is due rather to 
 a lack of standards in operation and to some extent 
 also to a lack of standards in equipment and supplies, 
 than to any backwardness in trying out new ideas. 
 
 The distributor of eggs who is strong enough to con- 
 trol his own retail outlets and who receives direct 
 regular shipments from country storekeepers probably 
 has as direct and economical a method of operation 
 as can be devised for eggs. Egg preparations are not 
 commonly sold for household use and marketing eggs 
 in the shell is a merchandising operation. 
 
 The large number of factors liaaking up the total cost 
 of handling eggs suggest that short cuts would be 
 profitable. Many are tried every year and in the 
 spring such plans are successful to the point of cutting 
 out most of the distributors' profits. But for eight 
 months, from June to February, experience and facili- 
 ties seem to count for more. 
 
 The class of so-called pure speculators are for the 
 most part keen observers of the market and serve a 
 useful end in their way; taken as a class, their profits 
 are largely offset by their losses and their expenses are 
 small compared to the value of a season's crop of eggs. 
 There has been and is a lack of accurate crop infor- 
 m^ation available to the rank and file of the trade. 
 Comprehensive aid in this direction by the government 
 would lessen the speculative risk and in the same 
 degree would lessen speculative losses, which must now 
 be counted as an expense on the business. 
 
 The cost of assembling and distributing eggs eannnot 
 be reduced to a table which is applicable to the whole 
 country; it is a local problem everywhere. There are 
 common factors in the cost of getting eggs to con- 
 sumers in the larger markets, which may be tabulated, 
 but these costs vary according to the volume of busi- 
 ness running, the season of the year wherein it affects 
 the cost of grading, the distance from market, and 
 climatic hazards. At some seasons the losses due to 
 climatic hazards are almost negligible, and costs, like- 
 wise quotations, can be reduced to variations of one- 
 quarter cent per dozen. At other seasons the climatic 
 element is the foremost factor in the cost. 
 
 The factors of cost mentioned herein are not so 
 many middlemen. Two or more operations are usually 
 conducted by one operator and the several functions 
 overlap in practice. 
 
Factors of Cost and Typical 
 Operations 
 
 Figures Apply to One Oas©— 30 Dozen of Eggs 
 
 1— ASSEMBLING. 
 
 a— The Cost of Gathering and taking the eggs to 
 town is still saddled on the farmer as a chore in 
 most states and in outlying districts where the 
 cost of collection is regarded as too high. The 
 advantages of collection are a better average 
 handling of the eggs, more frequent and more 
 regular gathering. There may also be some sav- 
 ing in cost where farms are close together and 
 where flocks are large. On the whole, however, 
 collecting from the farmers as a business must 
 be regarded as an expense justified in the higher 
 market value of the product. The cost varies 
 according to season and volume from 20e to 40e 
 a case. 
 
 b — The Container consisting of cases and fillers is 
 now, as a rule, built light and at low cost with 
 the idea of discarding in the distributing market. 
 The eggs may be transferred from one case to 
 another several times, and the case accepted by 
 the railroad as standard is capable of several 
 times shipping without seriously impairing its 
 carrying efficiency. Containers that are shipped 
 to distant markets are seldom returned and have 
 small salvage value, the cost is nearly absolute — 
 for domestic cases 17c to 22c. One set of fillers 
 and flats therefor costs 10c to 14c. 
 
 c — The First Grading, accounting to and paying of 
 farmers varies greatly according to season and 
 volume. Wken eggs are collected systematically, 
 there is less opportunity for deception as to 
 freshness and the custom is to receive the eggs 
 without grading. Typical costs of receiving and 
 paying for eggs according to grade at a town 
 store are 15c to 30c per case. (Compare Sale 
 Costs, factor 4-a). 
 
 d — Shipping to Concentration Point is largely a fac- 
 tor of sale (factor 4-b) and of transportation 
 (factor 3-a) but includes also delivery to the 
 depot and from the depot to the packing plant 
 about 5e per case. 
 
 e— The second Grading at Concentration point may 
 consist merely of lifting covers, recapping (new 
 excelsior flat and new top fillers, etc.), and re- 
 packing any damaged cases, 3c to 5e per case. 
 Or it may involve thorough grading, repacking 
 for storage into several grades, candling, etc., 
 which may represent a labor cost of 10c to 18c 
 a case. 
 
 4 
 
FACTOES OF COST 
 
 f — Shipping to Central Market is a transportation 
 factor usually involving only labor of loading 
 oars, cost of dunnage, ear bracing, etc., Ic to 3c 
 per case, (see factor 3-b). 
 
 g — To the above may be added in some instances 
 Receiver's Cost at central market. Where the 
 receiver sells to a distributor, add cartage 3e and 
 handling charge 5e per ease. The remainder of 
 the receiver's cost is a sales factor. 
 
 2— DISTRIBUTING. 
 
 a — ^Delivery to Jobber is generally effected by team 
 or auto -either direct from team track or from 
 receiver's store. Large distributors may have 
 their own side track. The cost of delivery to 
 jobber is 2c to 5c per case. 
 
 b — The Final Grading and cartoning may be done by, 
 the jobber or by the retailer and varies in cost 
 according to the character of grading which has 
 been done at the source, and to the degree of 
 deterioration in transit, etc. At sgme seasons 
 the eggs may not even be candled. Coft 5c to 
 25e per case. (Losses due to rejection in cand- 
 ling are considered with factors in group 5). 
 
 c — The Cartons for a case of eggs cost 24c to 36o. 
 
 d — ^Delivery to the Retailer is also a sales factor 
 (4-b), the salesman often traveling with and de- 
 livering the eggs. The cost of straight delivery 
 in large cities in one to five case lots is 10c to 
 25c per case. 
 
 e — ^Delivery to the Consumers in dozen lots, where a 
 regular trade has been established and the route 
 is compact, costs 40c to 60c per case. Where 
 deliveries are made with other groceries to close- 
 up trade the cost may be reduced. See also 
 Sales Factors (4-a). 
 
 f — ^Export Cases are seldom used at first packing. 
 Eggs intended for export are repacked into 
 heavier eases and fillers. Cost of export cases 
 30e to 40c; export fillers 15c to 18c per set (for 
 one case). The salvage in the original container, 
 which is discarded, is little more than the cost 
 of sorting and marketing. The cost of grading 
 for export is similar to "Final Grading" (fac- 
 tor 2-b). 
 
 3— TRANSPORTATION. 
 
 a — Typical freight To Concentrating Point 5c to 15c 
 per case. 
 
 b — Freight to Central Market varies widely. Typical 
 car lot freight from a packing point in Iowa to 
 Chicago or from Indiana to New York is 15c 
 to 35c per ease. 
 
 c — Typical freight From Central Market to tributary 
 market 5c to 15c per case. 
 
 NOTE: — During the winter and until the market 
 declines to spring level it is common to ship by express 
 which raises the cost of a, b and c two to three times. 
 
FACTORS OF COST 
 
 a-Freight to central market may be divided when 
 eggi are stored in transit. One function of the 
 warehouse is to afford an opportunity for divert- 
 ing reserves late in the season to the market 
 firit to become exhausted, and in a movement of 
 this kind eggs may be shipped back over much 
 the same route whence they originated. 
 
 4— SALES COST. 
 
 a— Buying eggs direct from farmers or selling them 
 direct to consumers in dozen lots are similar 
 transactions, involving a cost from 20c to $1.00 
 per case. Gash sales on bargain days at de- 
 partment stores, etc., may easily be reduced 
 to the lower figure, while personal attention re- 
 quired by the salesman in a high-grade neighbor- 
 hood store may cost the higher figure. 
 
 b — Purchase or sale in case lots costs 10c to 30e. 
 
 e— Purchase or sale in jobbing lots (20 to 100 eases) 
 costs 5c to 20c per case. 
 
 d — Sale in carlots costs 3c to 10c per ease. 
 
 The above sales costs do not include delivery and 
 handling but represent that portion of the cost which 
 is sometimes figured as "overhead" — getting the buyer 
 and seller together. 
 
 5— CLIMATIC LOSSES AND LOSSES DUE TO 
 EXPOSURE AND CARELESS HANDLING. 
 
 These losses are represented by price reduction due 
 to general deterioration or to shrinkage from rejections 
 in candling. 
 
 a — Climatic Losses vary in the extreme, depending 
 not only upon the state of the weather but upon 
 the condition of flocks and hardiness of the egg. 
 Climatic losses are minimized in April owing to 
 a large volume running, frequent gathering, cool 
 weather, hardy eggs, etc. Typical losses in 
 April from this cause 5c to 15c per ease; typical 
 losses in August, where eggs are not under re- 
 frigeration, dOc to $2.00 per case. 
 
 b — Losses Prom Exposure are usually the result of 
 ignorance and often are not recognized, as, for 
 example, from exposure to sunshine and heat 
 when eggs are displayed in a store window; ex- 
 posure to rain when the farmers are bringing 
 them to market; dampness in cellars; musty 
 odors from old fillers, etc. Losses from exposure 
 are diflficult to reckon in dollars and cents. A 
 carload of eggs may become musty from fre- 
 quent changes due to opening and closing car in 
 hot weather, causing condensation and dampness 
 from contact with the warm moist outside air. 
 When the dampness is followed by heat, a ear 
 may depreciate $2.00 to $3.00 a case in transit 
 and while awaiting sale. Typical losses from ex- 
 posure are 5c to 30c per ease, and where eggs 
 are properly handled and well protected, losses 
 due to exposure approach nil. 
 
FACTOES or COST 
 
 c — ^Freezing is another loss of this class. A frozen 
 egg usually splits wide open and becomes a 
 leaker. It occurs in severe weather when losses 
 therefrom are sometimes considerable. Typical 
 losses due to freezing are 10c to 60c per case. 
 
 d — A frequent cause of depreciation is rough hand- 
 ling which results in broken shells and, what is 
 often quite as serious, broken down contents. 
 The content of an egg is delicately formed and 
 has a definite structure which breaks down when 
 roughly handled, causing the egg to become 
 watery. Typical losses from this cause are 5e 
 to 25e per case and when a shipment is badly 
 shaken up may amount to much more. 
 
 e — ^Against saving from exposure and careless hand- 
 ling must be placed the cost of protection, such 
 as cold storage, refrigerator cars, dunnage, extra 
 packing, preservatives, etc. 
 
 6— STORING. 
 
 a — The larger Cold Storages charge 30c to iOc per 
 case for the season ending January 1st. It is 
 customary to quote a monthly rate on eggs stored 
 in the summer and fall for short term. The 
 usual charge for three months is 20c per case. 
 Warehouses in the South, in the West and in 
 smaller cities sometimes charge higher rates up 
 to 60e per case, for season. 
 
 b — Eggs are also Held On Track awaiting clearance 
 on a glutted market and it is sometimes found 
 profitable to stand a charge of $20.00 to $30.00 
 a car or 5c to 7o a case rather than to unload. 
 
 e — Storing Eggs in Iiiquids is now rarely practiced 
 commercially. At home and in small quantities 
 it costs anywhere from 30c to 60c a case, accord- 
 ing to the price which druggists charge for the 
 liquid. 
 
 7— MARKET CONTROL. 
 
 This factor of cost is most difficult of all to reduce 
 to a figure. It consists of: 
 
 a — Information. Trade papers and ordinary corres- 
 pondence by mail and telegrams keep the widely 
 scattered trade in eggs informed. Associations 
 have recently adopted a liberal policy of collect- 
 ing and disseminating information. The Bureau 
 of Markets at WiasMngton, D. 0., has been a 
 recent aid. 
 
 b — There have been attempts to Regulate By Law 
 certain abuses or assumed abuses in the business, 
 some of which have been helpful, but nearly all 
 of which have been the occasion of upsetting to 
 some extent the established channels and 
 creating new channels of trade, and this always 
 results in an expense for the time being. 
 
 c — ^Prices are controlled By Speculation, sometimes 
 meaning the legitimate provision in advance of 
 requirements by established trade and some- 
 times meaning pure speculation. A Pure Spec- 
 ulator who deals in carlots, buying and selling 
 from the regular trade adds 15c to 25e a case to 
 the cost, representing the cost of assembling his 
 
FACTORS OF COST 
 line added to the cost of disposing of it. On the 
 face of it where the same car changes hands a 
 number of times it would appear that unneces- 
 sary expense has been added to the cost of the 
 eggs, but an analysis of this cost is not con-^nc- 
 ing. When a car has once been inspected and its 
 quality has become known in a central market, 
 it is always cheaper to deal in the same car or 
 block of cars than to inspect a new line, and as 
 a result certain particular Hues of eggs become 
 current in the speculative trade, and the ups and 
 downs of the market represent both profits and 
 losses on these particular cars; meantime the 
 bulk of the reserves in storage are held by the 
 regular trade and do not share in this expense. 
 
 TYPICAL OPEKATIONS 
 Freight varies with the class of service and the distance 
 from market. In the following examples the farm 
 Is assumed to be located in a small town in south- 
 western Iowa and the consumer in Chicago. Only 
 one freight is shown, being the combination of 
 rates to concentrating point and from concentra- 
 ting point to Chicago. Likewise cost of grading, 
 wherever done, is combined. 
 
 1— COST OF MARKETING A CASE OF 
 FRESH EGGS IN FEBRUARY. 
 
 The first run of fresh eggs in the winter appears, as 
 a rule, on a declining market and the most important 
 object is to get the eggs to market quickly. It is 
 common to ship by express, to consign without previous 
 sale and to sell out all receipts daily, getting them so 
 far as practicable into immediate consumption. Second- 
 hand containers are customarily used. The quality is 
 good and candling is generally dispensed with. The 
 only concern is to see that none of the old crop is 
 mixed with the new. Principal losses are from freezing 
 and breakage. 
 
 Typical costs of the various stages are: 
 
 Per Case 
 
 Container ?0.20 
 
 First buyer's gross profit 10 
 
 Concentrator's gross profit 05 
 
 Freight (if express 90c) 44 
 
 Receiver's gross profit [05 
 
 Sale and delivery to distributor ! .08 
 
 Labor, grading 07 
 
 Shrink In grading .' ." |o5 
 
 Cartons ][] ]^q 
 
 Wholesale distributor's gross profit !..!!!!! AO 
 
 Sale and delivery to retailer ' ' 15 
 
 Retailer's gross profit ]\\\ IgO 
 
 Sale and delivery to customer ,',', "go 
 
 ?2.79 
 2— COST OF MARKETING A CASE OF 
 
 FRESH EGGS IN APRIL. 
 
 In the spring the supply exceeds the demand and the 
 quotation is governed by the interest shown in storing 
 eggs. The run is so large that undergrades, not desira- 
 ble for storing, are a large factor in the supply for 
 immediate use. These undergrades consist of slightly 
 dirty, undersize and cheeked (slightly cracked) eggs 
 The quality of all receipts is good. Daily variations in 
 the quotation are only fractions of a cent per dozen 
 Country storekeepers and even farmers are shipping 
 
TYPICAL OPERATIONS 
 
 direct to neighborhood stores in the large cities and 
 there is a tendency to cut out as many middlemen as 
 possible. Eggs are featured at this season by the re- 
 tailers and are often sold at cost. In all classes of the 
 trade, profits are smaller, but the volume of business is 
 larger. 
 
 Typical costs of the various stages are: 
 
 Per Case 
 
 Container $0.30 
 
 Collection (If not collected, add 10c to first buyer 
 and 10c labor and shrink grradlngr- Grading is 
 
 frequently omitted however) 20 
 
 First buyer's gross profit (see Collection) 05 
 
 Conftentrator's or receiver's gross profit 10 
 
 Freight 35 
 
 Sale and delivery to distributor 07 
 
 Labor, grading (usually sold ungraded) 
 
 Shrink in grading (usually sold ungraded) 
 
 Cartons (use limited in April and May) 
 
 Wholesale distributor's gross profit 05 
 
 Sale and delivery to retailer 10 
 
 Retailer's gross profit 15 
 
 Sale and delivery to consumer 50 
 
 SI 87 
 3— COST OF IVLA.RKETING A CASE OF 
 
 FRESH EGGS IN JUNE. 
 
 With the advent of warm weather it becomes neces- 
 sary to pay more attention to the use of proper facili- 
 ties and proper handling. The farmer is usually paid 
 on a "loss-ofE" basis and according to quality. Such 
 eggs as are stored have to be carefully candled and 
 only the very best are desirable. Candling also is 
 necessary at point of distribution. The neighborhood 
 store finds it diflB.cult to obtain satisfactory quality 
 direct from the farmer or country merchant, and has 
 no outlet for a shipment unsuited to its trade. The 
 wholesale distributor becomes once more a useful 
 factor. 
 
 Typical costs of the various stages are: 
 
 Per Case 
 
 Container $0.30 
 
 Collection (If not collected, add 10c to first buyer 
 
 and 15c to labor and shrink grading) 25 
 
 First buyer's gross profit (See Collection) 05 
 
 Concentrator's or receiver's gross profit 10 
 
 Freight 35 
 
 Sale and delivery to distributor 10 
 
 Labor, grading 15 
 
 Shrink in grading (See Collection) 10 
 
 Cartons 30 
 
 Wliolesale distributor's gross profit , 16, 
 
 Sale and delivery to retailer 25 
 
 Retailer's gross profit - 60 
 
 Sale and delivery to consumer 60 
 
 $3.30 
 4— COST OF MARKETING A CASE OF 
 
 FRESH EGGS IN AUGUST. 
 
 The first run of the second crop begins to appear dur- 
 ing and after the harvest season. Nights are cool, flocks 
 get more or less grain feed from offal of the harvest 
 and the general quality of eggs that are well cared for 
 improve. There are hot weeks, however, and sometimes 
 extreme losses result. The trade are compelled to ex- 
 ercise the greatest care in buying. There is a wide 
 range in the quotation, often as much as $4.00 to $5.00 
 per case. Part of the finest selections from August 
 receipts are stored for fall use. At the same time the 
 total production falls below consumption and the trade 
 begins drawing upon reserves stored in the spring. The 
 
 9 
 
TYPICAL OPERATIONS 
 
 following costs apply to No. 1 fresh eggs of the best 
 average quality, to obtain which it is necessary to 
 discard more worthless eggs and to sell the various 
 undergrades at a greater discount than in June. 
 Typical costs of the various stages are: 
 
 Per Case 
 
 Container (once used) ?0.20 
 
 Collection (If not collected, add 10c to first buyer 
 
 and 20c to labor and shrink grading-) 30 
 
 First buyer's gross profit (See Collection) 10 
 
 Concentrator's or receiver's gross profit 20 
 
 Freight (if express 90c) 39 
 
 Sale and delivery to distributor 10 
 
 Labor, grading 15 
 
 Shrink in grading (See Collection) 50 
 
 Cartons 30 
 
 Wholesale distributor's gross profit 25 
 
 Sale and delivery to retailer 25 
 
 Retailer's gross profit 60 
 
 Sale and delivery to consumer -60 
 
 $3.94 
 5— COST OF MARKETING A CASE OF 
 FRESH EGGS IN OCTOBER. 
 
 There is keen competition for the last of the fall lay 
 and the fresh egg market advances in proportion to the 
 decreasing receipts. As the advance in price is an 
 annual occurrence, there is a tendency to take profit by 
 holding back the crop at every stage in its movement 
 beginning with the farmer. As a result current re- 
 ceipts of fresh eggs in October are badly mixed with 
 held stock. The stale eggs when sorted out are often 
 of less value than good storage eggs. Strictly fresh 
 meantime command a high premium and the range in 
 the quotation is correspondingly wide. The movement 
 being small, the cost of handling per case increases. 
 
 Typical costs of the various stages are: 
 
 Per Case 
 
 Container (once used) $0 20 
 
 First buyer's gross profit 30 
 
 Concentrator's or receiver's gross profit. . . 20 
 
 Freight (if express 90c) ' " '44 
 
 Sale and delivery to distributor 15 
 
 Labor, grading on 
 
 Shrink in grading cc 
 
 Cartons ' gS 
 
 Wholesale distributor's gross profit." .'.'.' 30 
 
 Sale and delivery to retailer 9k 
 
 Retailer's gross profit ' ' 90 
 
 Sale and delivery to consumer .........'.'.[ !60 
 
 $4 39 
 6— COST OF MARKETING A CASE OF FRESH 
 EGGS GATHERED AND STORED IN JUNE 
 WITHDRAWN AND SOLD IN SEPTEMBER. ' 
 
 This is the typical "summer storage." Eees ao- 
 pearing on the market in June are the last of the 
 spring lay are not as good keepers and are as a rule 
 marketed before the April eggs are withdrawn. An 
 
 ^nr^!""" i.°°T,f "^"""^S extremely warm weeks in 
 summer when the supply of good fresh eggs is badly 
 curtailed and first-class trade is suppUed with Aprils 
 
 Typical costs of the various stages are: 
 
 Container Per Case 
 
 Collection (If not collected "add 'I'liA "t^" 'fi^V V ^^-^^ 
 
 mr.r^, '''^.*° '^""^ andlhriSk^gJadinl)*"^^' *'"y^'- ,„ 
 
 ConoentritoX^.''°^^ ^""-"^^ (See Collectfon) ! i ! ! g? 
 
 Frefght receiver's gross profit. ..;.;. "q 
 
 ;35 
 
 10 
 
TYPICAL OPERATIONS 
 (continued) ' 
 
 Storage 20 
 
 Interest and Insurance 19 
 
 One carlot sale 08 
 
 Sale and delivery to distributor 10 
 
 Labor, grading^ 15 
 
 Shrink in grading (See Collection) 20 
 
 Cartons (use of cartons for storage eggs is limited, 
 
 in September) 
 
 Wholesale distributor's gross profit 35 
 
 Sale and delivery to retailer 25 
 
 Retailer's gross profit 60 
 
 Sale and delivery to consumer 60 
 
 $3T82 
 7— COST OF MARKETING A CASE OF FRESH 
 EGGS GATHERED AND STORED IN APRIL, 
 WITHDRAWN AND SOLD IN NOVEMBER, 
 
 Ttis operation is typical for two-thirds of the eggs 
 vphieh are placed in storage, the heavy storing being in 
 April and May and the greatest scarcity being in 
 November and December, On account of the good 
 quality of April eggs, the candling loss is less than if 
 candling Junes. The distributing trade, however, 
 are accustomed to taking more profit and not in- 
 frequently an exorbitant profit. The practice is not 
 altogether a fault of the trade, but is encouraged by 
 consumers insisting upon getting more fresh eggs than 
 are to be obtained. Five cents a dozen ($1.50 per case) 
 fairly represents the extra profit over the wholesale 
 market still commonly taken either by the wholesale 
 distributor or by the retailer or between them, in the 
 sale of the best storage eggs for fresh, or as just eggs. 
 Typical costs of the various stages are: 
 
 Per Case 
 
 Container $0.30 
 
 Collection (If not collected, add 10c to first buyer 
 
 and 10c to labor and shrink grading) 20 
 
 First buyer's gross profit 05 
 
 Concentrator's or receiver's gross profit 10 
 
 Freight 35 
 
 One carlot sale 98 
 
 Storage 30 
 
 Interest and Insurance 49 
 
 Sale and delivery to distributor 10 
 
 Labor, grading (both into and out of storage) 25 
 
 Shrink in grading (See Collection) 20 
 
 Cartons (often sold loose) 30 
 
 Wholesale distributor's gross profit (See Retailer's 
 
 profit) 30 
 
 Sale and delivery to retailer -io 
 
 Retailer's gross profit (not including any market 
 profit or loss. The extra profit is sometimes 
 taken by the wholesaler, as explained above the 
 
 table.) 2.10 
 
 Sale and delivery to consumer -pO 
 
 J5.97 
 
 8— COST OF REPACKING A CASE 
 OF EGGS FOR EXPORT. 
 
 The unusual conditions in Europe have greatly stimu- 
 lated the demand for eggs from the United States and 
 Canada to supply a deficiency in England. Prior to 
 the war this movement was spasmodic and was not 
 reckoned as a factor in the market. 
 
 Export eggs are packed in cases heavier than the 
 standard domestic ease in order to withstand the 
 pressure of being loaded on shipboard by means of a 
 canvas sling or net, and the pressure of a shifting 
 cargo. It is customary also to use heavy white pulp 
 fillers instead of domestic strawboard fillers and the 
 eggs are candled at time of repacking. 
 
 Typical costs, based on the use of finest April storage 
 at mark, are: 
 
 11 
 
TYPICAL OPERATIONS 
 
 Per Case 
 
 New containersi $0.53 
 
 Extra padding 03 
 
 One cartage J3 
 
 Loarding cars (including dunnage) 02 
 
 Labor, grading and repacking 16 
 
 Shrink in grading 20 
 
 Supervision and overhead 10 
 
 $1.07 
 THE EGG CROP 
 
 The consumption of eggs in the United States ■ is 
 approximately one egg per day or one case per year 
 per capita, there being 360 eggs in a case. A handy 
 rule for reckoning the weekly egg consumption of a^y_ 
 given locality is to double the population and divide 
 by one hundred, which results in about the number 
 of cases consumed weekly taken the year round. 
 
 The production of eggs is well distributed throughout 
 the country, and in this respect differs greatly from 
 tobacco, rice, citrus fruits and other localized crops 
 and the problems of distribution are correspondingly 
 different. An outline the shape of an egg, placed over 
 the map of the United States with Chicago in the 
 center, the point of the egg resting on Scranton, Penn- 
 sylvania, the southern limit including Tennessee and 
 the northern limit Lake Superior with the butt of the 
 egg cutting Kearney, Nebraska, approximately bounds 
 the states and the Province of Ontario whei'ein eggs 
 are produced in as large or larger numbers than they 
 are consumed. An exception is found in some parts of 
 Texas and Oklahoma not included in the oval. Eggs 
 are universally consumed in the United States and less 
 than one per cent of the crop is exported. The product- 
 ion, therefore, is approximately equal to the consump- 
 tion which may be roughly divided into: One-third 
 consumed on the farm; one-third consumed in small 
 towns; leaving one-third of the crop for the large 
 markets. 
 
 Of the third which comes to market about one-fifth 
 or twenty per cent goes into cold storage at some stage 
 of the movement and it will be observed that this 
 represents not to exceed six or seven per cent of the 
 whole crop. 
 
 The last mentioned fact is exceedingly important and 
 must be constantly borne in mind when considering the 
 influence of supply and demand upon prices. A re- 
 duction of five per cent in a season's production or an 
 increase of five per cent in a season's consumption of 
 eggs would result in an extreme lowering of reserves 
 unless counteracted by an adjustment to higher prices, 
 and the reverse holds true of an increase in produc- 
 tion or a decrease in consumption. With this fact in 
 mind the sensitive movements in the quotation will be 
 readily understood; also the highly speculative nature 
 of the business of storing eggs. 
 
 There are two seasons of production, which broadly 
 speaking include the spring season from January to 
 June inclusive and the fall season August to October 
 inclusive. These periods vary somewhat owing to 
 climatic and local influences and overlap, so that there 
 are only four to six weeks in the year when the supply 
 of strictly fresh eggs approaches nil. This period lies 
 between the first of November and the 15th of 
 December. 
 
 12