Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-04-08
From the Cincinnati Price Current
Pork Packing iurhe West.

The important changes which have taken
place IN the production OF pork IN the West, dur
ing the last three YEAR. have been remark able.
Previous TO 1861. the crop did not vary over
four or five huLdred thousand hogs being some
times one or two hundred thousand above. aud
then the same amounts below t~o millions; but
in 1862. the packing ruh up 10 nearly three mil
lion; in 1863. TO more than four million; and this
season. il has fallen of more than three quarters
Of 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 find the greater portion OF
the increase Of one year and the decrease IN al
other, 10 those districts Of the West which have
had their natural and usual channel Of commerce
(the Missippi) shut up by The
IL is true that, from 1851. the immense emf
grafton which was kept up from the East TO the
far West, until 1861. hss led TO the cultivation
OF vast Qnantity Of the rich lands Of Iowa. and
to rapid increase Of agricultural productions in
that State; and rhe same cause in Illinois and
Missouri. has no doubt had considerable influence
in producing the great increase in the pork crop
of the last few years.
Were II not for the bad failure OF the corn crop
Of last year. consequent upon the cold ungenlal
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 corn 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 was not known; but the i'm
preston was general that there would be a
marked deficiency in the pork crop. and packers
in the West accordingly made their estimate OF
prices at a high point; and yet the result has
shown that these prices we're far below the aver
rage rates paid during the season and that prices
have advanced beyond all expectation as the
season progressed The season has been most
profitable to the packers generally. Farm
ers, owing to the high price OF corn, sold of all
the hogs they had in condition fit TO be disposed
of; and the high prices tempted them to sell even
those they intended for home use. TO very great
extent suppOsing that they would be afterward
able TO buy cheaper the cured pork. no doubt
This has not only lett the W est bare OF hogs, but
il has generally reduced the usual supply of
summer meat held by farmers. and will lead to a
large home consumption during the summer
months. There will also he great falling of
in the supply of fat hogs for the summer trade.
notwithstanding the unusual high prices now be-
ing paid for them; this with the high price OF
beef. must necessarily further increase the home
consumption
The unex pected high prices paid for hogs, and
the unpromising condition of the English mar
ke;s, greatly diminished the quantity of boxed
meats put up for England the past AS compared
with the previous season. rs will be seen by re-
ferrng to the exports from this country since De
cember last. compared with the same time 10
lch3; but il is supposed that the expected in.
crease in home consumption, and the great de
crease in the production, will 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 new 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 the hands of dealers, chiefly the
West
Without further remarks shall pro-
coed to give the packing statistics of the past
season. compared with those of the previous
season: