Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-04-18
From the Cincinnati Price Current.
Pork Packing i'm the West.

The important changes which have taken
place in the production OF pork in the West dur
ing the last three wears, have been remarkable.
Previous to 1861. the crop did not vary over
four five hundred thousand hogs, being some
times one or two hundred thousand above, and
then The same amounts below two millions; but
in 1862, the packing up to nearly three mil.
lion; in 1868, to more than four million; and this
season. il has fallen off more than three quarters
of a million. That these rapid and extensive
changes have been the consequences of the effect
which the civil war had upon commerce, cannot
be denied. because we tind the greater portion of
the increase of one year and the decrease in an
other, in those districts of the West which have
had their natural and usual channel of commerce
1.-THE Missippi) shut up by the war.
IL is true that, from 1857, the immense emf
grafton which kept up from the East to the
far West, until 1850. has led to the cultivation
of a vast quantity of the rich lands of Iowa, and
to rapid increase of agricultural productions in
that State; and the same cause in Illinois and
Missouri, has no doubt had considerable influence
in producing the great increase in the polk crop
of the last few years.
Were il not for the bad failure of the corn crop
of last year. consequent upon the cod ungenial
summer, and the killing frosts OF July and Aug
ust. there can be no doubt that the pork crop of
the past season would have exceeded that of any
previous season by half million of hogs; but
the failure OF the crop has shortened it seri-
ouSly both in number and weight. and beyond
what was supposed last fall Last fall the full
extent of the failure not known: but the i'm
preston was general that there would be
marked deficiency in the pork crop. and packers
/ in the West accordingly made their estimate OF
prices at high poiut and yet the result has
shown that these prices were far below the aver
rage rates paid during the seasun and that prices
have advanced beyond all expectation the
season progressed. The season has been a most
/ profitable pne to the packers generally. Farm
ers, owing to the high price oil corn, sold off all
4 the hogs they had in condition fit TO he disposed
OF; aud the high prices tempted them to sell even
those they intended for home use to a very great
/ extent, suppOsing that they would be allerward
able to buy cheaper the cured pork. doubt.
This has not only lett the W est bare Of hogs but
/ il has generally reduced the usu.l supply of
summer meat held by farmers aud will lead to a
/ large home consumption during the summer
months There will also be a great falling off
! in the supply of fat hogs for the summer trade,
notwithstanding the unusual high prices now be-
/ ing paid Tor them; this with the high price of
! beef. must necessarily further increase the home
consumption
The Unexpected high prices paid for hogs, and
! the embarrassing condition of the English mar
! kets, greatly diminished the quantity OF boxed
/ meals put up for England the past as cOmparei
with the previous season, will be seen by re-
ferrinS To the exports from tins country since De
/ cember last comptred with the same time ia
/ lSh3; Tut il is supposed that the expected in
crease in home consumption, and the great de-
crease in the production. viii more than Offset
/ this
There has been falling off in the foreign ex-
ports of lard; also in the home consumption; and
taking into consideration the heavy stock of old
/ lard on hand when the ne crop came into mar
| ket, we think it may be safely stated that an
amount fully equal to the present seasons
crop is still in tie hands oi dealers chiefly IN the
4 West.
Without further remarks we now shall pro-
coed to give the packing statistics of the past
season, compared with those of the previous
/ season: