Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1845-05-28

he will make but.lItfle Dy H.: .,.
Let US examine the question Of meat
buying closely. Say two acres of land
will produce bag of cotton weighing 40O
pounds; this, al FIVE cents, will be S2O.
! What would this same two acres Of
ground produce If cultivated in corn and
fed to four hogs Of a year old? We have
estimated that it produces 500 weight of
seed cotton 10 the acre, according to the
above calculation, and land which yields
that much cotton will bring 40 bushels of
corn. Well, that would be 40 bushels Of
corn. which, fed to four hogs Of a year
old, al the rate of ten bushels to each,
would make each one weigh certainly us
pounds net. Multiply this by four. and
we have 700 pounds of pork as the result,
which, at three cents per pound, is S2l-a
difference of dollar against The theory of
sit is cheaper to buy than 10 raise" with
the additional advantage Of placing The
farmer above the contingencies of a short
supply and high ptices. g,
Since we began this article, in looking
over our papers, the following opposite
remarks of the Albany Cultivator, on the
subject of the pork market, has met our
eye, and we transfer i, here as corrobora-
ton of our supposilions. We had supposed
in the usual course Of things, this fuctua-
ton might take place, and itseems that 10
fact ii has taken place sooner than we OK.
pected:
Deficiency in the Supply cf Pork for
lS44.-We are not surprised at the falling
off in the amount Of pork slaughtered in
the West las, season. From 1889 10 lS4l,
it is well known that an excitement,
amounting almost to mania, prevailed
through the country in relation to hogs
Improved breeds were sought after with
great avidity, and in many instances very
high prices were paid. particularly for
Berkshires. The natural consequence OF
This excitement was, first, that unusual
numbers of hogs were reared and faltened,
aud of course the pork market was gluIted.
The uuprecedcptedly low prices of pork
ip the western markets, for the years 1871
to IS43 proved almost ruinous to those
farmers who relied on that article for their
chief income. Many farmers were forced
to sell their hogs for no more than dollar
and fifty cents per hundred. dead weight
and in some instances for less. They
could not stand such low prices, and hence
followed the second result of the former
excitement, viz !: The raising of but small
number Of hogs, and the falling of in the
quantity Of pork killed killed in the west
ern country lasl year. We see it stared in
various papers that the amount packed at
Cincinnati last year was less by oEe.Ihird
than for the year previous. At ST. Loris
it is said the decrease is still greater; and
through the Stale Of Illinois here is said
to have been falling off Of from one
third 10 one-half. Iu Ohio the falling off
was much greater, as we are informed, at
the interior slaughlering places, than al
Cincinnati. In the Sciolo valley. for
instance, where The number slaue ehiercd at
nine places in 1913 was III 800, The mum
ber for 1914 is only 1880. 1t seems
probable, from present prospects, lha, pork
will command al least rem uneraling prices
the coming fall, and those farmers who
had the foresight 10 see this. aud have
wisely provided themselves with suffi
cienl stock of good breed of hogs. will
be likely 10 reap their reward"
SO we may expect an increase of price
for some time 10 come, aud the same causes
which have produced this reaction in
Ohio, will probably develupe themselves
in Tennessee year later. In lime to
affect the next winters supply of pork
here. Now let US suppose that he plan
ter, who purchased his mea, last winter
al three cents. should have to pay five cents
for it the next, and see how our calcula-
tion above will stand affected by it. The
700 pounds Of meat at tha, Increased
price would be worth S35. which would
be a difference of SIS against his anti
meat raising system. And while these
serious changes are taking place, may
there not be decline in cotton? Such
things take place occasionally, as he is
aware; and, Instead Of purchasing bis
meat with cotton al five cents, or, in other
words, giving a pound of cotton for a
pound of meat. may not cotton fall 10 four
cents. III that case il makes The difference
stand against his theory at Sl9, or very
near oae hundred per cent.
We lrlist that we have shown, that If
at particular times, for short period at
best, the plauter does we'll to buy his sup
ply of meat, with The proceeds of his cot
ION and corn, in the main that plan is de-
slrIciive Of his own inlerests, aud in a
high degree prejudical TO the general wei
fare aud prosperity Of the community at
large. The farmer is truly the bono and
sinew OF the country. His prosperity
makes all others prosperous, and his ruin
is succeeded by destruction to all other
calIings. If collectively. the farmers of
country pursue correct policy, which
results happily to themselves, the whole
laad smiles; if they pursue the infatuated
course, heretofore followed in Georgia. the
country is clad in the lugubrious raiment
of sack cloth aud astes. When will the
farmers Of Georgia pursue their true inter-
ests, and raise the detected head Of their
beloved State? ]. b. L..
Macon Ca, april, IS45.