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Show f poultry" I ' I EASTERN VS. HOME GROWN POULTRY. By C. G. Patterson, Manager, Brook Ranch Commission Co. It is not generally known by the people in the Inter-mountain Country Coun-try tha't in the matter of poultry the home product is discriminated against by tbc Salt Lake buyers. This is a fact, bowcer, and the fault is as much tbc producers 'as tbc dealers. At tbc present time tbc wbolcsalc on dressed poulltry in Salt Lake City is iS cents per pound for eastern stuff and 17 cents per pound for Utah stuff. This ration is maintained tbroughout the ycaf. Since being actively engaged in business in this city we bavc made this condition a study in order to see if it could not be justified. We bavc concluded that it is justifiable in part at least. In looking over the consignments tbat come from the cast wc generally general-ly find fat plump stock of medium to large sizes. In checking over tbe consignments of Utah stuff received by ourselves and by other dealers we find an infinite variety of sizes and conditions. A big per cent of the stuff sent in is in exceedingly poor shape and hens frequently come in weighing 2 pounds and hens weighing above 3J4 pounds arc more the exception than the rule. Now the wholesalers have found that they can place eastern stuff to better advantage in the hotels and restaurants than they can the home product for the reason that the 'sizes arc more uniform and the condition of the birds invariably better. So far as this goes the producer only is to blame. On the other hand the local dealers have made no effort whatever what-ever to remedy these conditions. They have been content to let' the producer go along rearing his poor stuff from year to year without protesting pro-testing or endeavoring to inform him of his mistake. They have brought thi stuff as cheaply as they could and hc,vc ibeen content to sell it for less money than the eastern product. In short the dealers have given im- i I orted poultry preference over the home grown article and in this they are to blame. j We feel that this is an injustice to i tbe producer in tbe Intcr-mountain j Country and protest ngarnst this von- j dilion. There is no reason why as ! good grade of fowls can not be raised j in tins section of the country as in Kansas and Nebraska. Furthermore there is no reason why a better price should not be obtained for fowls that have been freshly killed than for those that have been packed in ice for u greater or less period and some-times some-times kept in storage for months. We would suggest that the farmers throughout the state make an effort to keep a more uniform grade of fowls. As a pcncral purpose fowl there is nothing better than the ja American Breeds. These include the ) three varieties of Plymouth Rocks, all varieties of Wyandottes and Rhode ' Island Reds. So far as our experience exper-ience has gone we think that there is nothing better than the Rhode Island Is-land Red with the Barred Plymouth Rock a close second as a general purpose pur-pose fowl. Were these birds kept by the farmers throughout the state instead in-stead of ("he Mongrel Lot usually kept there would be a different story to tell from the market end of the business. |
