The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1854-09-01
28O,636,S56
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Now, 90 per cent. on this amount is fifty
sir millions Of bushels, which is TO be deduct
ed from the average amount fed to animals,
or made into whiskey. Now this fifty six
millions of bushels is to be taken off from one
or all of the following modes of consumption,
viz: from the export of corn and meal the
amount fed to cattle or hogs, or made into
whiskey.
The average exports of Indian corn and
meal, do not exceed 100000 bushels, and
seldom indeed make that II we suppose the
whole of this cut off by short crop, we still
have forty-one millions to be taken from other
sources of consumption. Now, if we suppose
this to be equally divided between the falting
of cattle and hogs, and the making of whis-
key, we have this falling off-estmating at
the ordinary rates Of consumption Of corn in
these processes.
Cattle 100000
Hogs 100000
Whiskey (oarrels) 100000
At first sight, this is an enormous amount
to be subducted from these articles of com
merce. But little examination will show
that such results must follow from serious
falling off in the corn crop. 1t will be OBJ
served that the great mass of corn is fed in
winter to stock, not for fatting, but to pre-
serve them. There are horses, mules, cattle,
hogs, TO the amount of many millions, to be
sustained When, therefore, heavy deduc-
ton is made from the corn crop, il falls al
most entirely on the amount to be sent to
market, in one form or another. 1t is the
surplus only, after supplying all domestic
wants, which goes into the manufacture of
liquor, or the fatting of animals, or foreign
exports. When crop partially fails, there
fore, the deduction falls first on these mar
ketable articles. But the distribution of the
reduction will probable be little different
from that above.
The manufacture of whiskey seldom ceases,
and the largest part of the reduction will be
found in cattle and hogs. IF the failure of the
corn crop be rs large MS we suppose, there
will be reduction of one million in the mum
Der of fatted hogs in the United States, and
of cattle in proportion. The number of hogs
fatted in the West according to the Price
Current, allowing for small quantities not
returned) is nearly or quite 100000. In the
United States at large the number must ex-
coed 100000.
A reduction of 100000 is therefore equiv
aent to a reduction OF one-third in the total
number of fatted hogs, and therefore will be
proportional reduction in fatted cattle
One effect OF this will be that there will be
little or no export. There cannot be an ex-
port without ut once raising the price beyond
what meat can be exporteda at. Whether the
. prices at home will be much higher depends
upon various circumstances. At present the
price of stock hogs is low. There is, there
fore, n margin for higher price of corn, with
out raising the price of fat hogs. Money is
also scarce so that the scarcity of corn will
be countemcted as to the price of hogs by
two other material circumstances.
or one thing, however, there is n certainty;
that the reduction in the quantity of corn, will
reduce, in the ensuing year, very materially,
the quantity of picked meats in the country.
When corn and money are both abundant the
number of fatted animals brought to market,
may be increased almost indefinitely But
when corn and money are both scarce, the
reverse is the Case; and fatted animals are
scarce also.
Let us see how many hogs there are in the
yalloy Of the Ohio, and how many might be
fatted. The number has rapidly increased
since 1885, but let us take the number for
that year:
In Tennessee, 3,l04,S00
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