Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-04-20
Annual Statement of Pork Packing
in the West.

The Cincinnati Price Current, of the 18th
inst. publishes the result Of pork packing Of the
present season. 1t says:
The result is wonderful. The number of hogs
packed this season, il will be seen is over four
million head. being an increase over the packing
of the season 1852 Of over "a million and a
quarter, namely, l 1851 .7s7. being an increase Of
40 l-l0th per cent. The decrease in weight is
~ per cent leaving u net increase of over
80 3 > per cent. AS compared with last year
The yield ef leaf lard is FIVE pounds per hog less
than it was in 1852, but owing TO the great in
crease in the number of hogs slaughtered, there
is an absolute increase in quantity of 27b per
cent. over last season. In these comparisons, we
do not include the Tennessee packing last season.
1t will be seen that the great incre tse was in
that section OF the West tributary TO Chicago,
but of all that section. in no place was that in
crease so marked rs in Iowa. and our correspon-
dents in that State, say that fully one half OF the
hogs packed in Chicago, were shipped from
thence, and explain the enormou increase in this
way. The corn crop in that State. the past two
years. was an unusually good one: but owing to
the blockade ofthe Mississippi, the usual channel
or outlet TO a market, and the low price, the arti-
Gle did not admit OF transportation to the East, it
was therefore a. 4 matter of necessity fed to hogs
to an extent unusual. and which weuId not have
been the case had a market been accessible
This APPLIES not only TO Iowa. but 10 that por-
ton of III inois'bordering upon the upper Mississippi
Owing to the great speculation in. and high rate
Of gold, remunerative prices were obtained. and
which proved OF as much advantage TO the feed
ers, "a if the currency was down 10 a specie basis.
The rise IN gold affected none out those who use
foreign goods. aud of these the agricultural class
Is use but little.
1t will be seen that there is a large increase in
all the States but Kentucky. and in that State
there is a decrease. but this is not wonderful,
and the surprise is that the packing along the
Ohio was as large as il has been. owing to the
disturbed state of affairs and the repeated mena-
oes of the Rebels, along the border.
When the season opened, owing to the large
stock of barrel and bulk meat on hand, and
which had become next To unsaleable, the i'm
preston was general that the product Of the hog
crop. which the trade then did not suppose would
exceed that of the previous season. and, in many
cases, that it would not come up TO it. should be
packed in shape for foreign markets. as but a
small amount would be needed tor a home
market; and, therefore. boxing Sides. Shoulders
and Hams, for the Liverpool market, was the
rule throughout. and il was not until in Decem
Der, that any of consequence WAS put in bbls for
a home market, This naturally lei to shipments
of boxed meats abroad, to an extent vastly
greather than the previous season; and owing to
the high premium on gold and sterling exchange,
this meat WAS furnished in the foreign markets at
prices below the previous year, and which has
induced a largely increased consumption in
England. France, Germany, Holland and Den
mark.
The amount of Mess Pork packed has BEEN
small. unusually so. We have no returns on
:. this point to enable us TO make any estimate APP
preaching accuracy, but we think it was not over
one third the amount packed the nrevious sea
son. The scarcity and high price of cooperage
had some influence in d miniShing the amount. A
good deal of that packed in barrels was Prime
MeSs-anticipatiug an army demand.
Last season, owing to the very low price and
the unsettled state of the public mind, and the
want of confidence in the currency, an unusual
number of hogs were packed by farmers and
country merchants. Z we stated in our last an
nual report: this season this was almost univer
SALLY avoided, as the packing done in this way
last season, the sequel has shown, proved mOsr
unwise, and generally resulted in heavy losses to
the parties, because the meat was generally un
saleable
The yieldof Lard given below is what is called
Leaf Lard only. In many places the greater
portion of the hoes was rendered into Lard, bui
this was not dol@>is generally as it was last sea
son. which was partly owing to the fact that the
hugs were not So we'll fatted, and partly to the
higher prices paid for them. Lard was consider
ed lower in proportion than the meat, and henc,
it was bought AND is held on speculation, in
similar manner to what Mess Pork was last sea
son. The shipments to foreign countries have
been large.
The following are the results of pork packing: