Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1869-02-25
A AGRICULTURE HOkrICUL
TURF AND DOMESTIC
ECONOMY.
THE FUTURE SUPPLY AND PRICE
OF lOnK.

pic-stv, faring sumptuously every day,
on we'll cooked meals. In the West
they thronged our highways, and dis
, puted with the cattle the right to crop
the abundant heritage of our pralrles;
While in the sunny South they invaded
the haun,s once sacred to the 'possum
and coon; and like them, grew tat, it
not sleek, while devouring the wild
fruits in autumn, and the ungathered
nuts daring the mild winter. The
hog in those old days led joyous,
happy lite, surrounded by his near and
remote ancestors, and his numerous
and increasing progeny. 50 SINAI!
price was set upon his head, that he
| telt thath:s lite was, at least, re,sona-
bly, secure.
But alas. tor the porkcr. Alas for the
young men. When the trump OF war
sounded, all this was changed. For
every regiment of troops that was en-
listed on either side, a Thousand hogs
were sacrificed. Il every part OF the
country, the peaceful, unotfending,
ease-loving hog paid the penalty for
which dishonest and designing politl-
clans should have suffered. With every
new call for troops, with every battle
lost or victory won, The price OF pork
went up. Soldiers might be clothed
with garments made OF shoddy: but
porkers could not initiate manutac
,urers in furnishing an artificial meat.
III the law abiding North, the hog
was slaughtered with decency and
decorum; but in Dixie the case was
different. Foraging parties murdered
them wherever found, and scouts hest
tated not to rob tn. mother OF her in
nocent young, even when it was de.
pendent upon her Tor support. There
the hog was destroyed tor two pur
poses-to supply the wants OF the
soldiers, and to prevent ITS falling in
to the hands OF the enemy. lie be-
come contraband Of war, as much as
gun powder and firearms.
This state of things Continued for
four years, during which time the
number OF hogs became very much
reduced, Notwithstanding their almost
unparalleled fecundity AT the return
| OF peace, a combination OF circuMs AN
ces served to keep up the price Of
pork. The consequence OF this was
farmers found the easiest way OF real
izing N oney was to 1atten what hogs
they had, and send them forward to
market. Indeed, the temptation to
realize money in this way was SO great
that farmers reduced the number o
the stock hogs to the lest possible
number CONSTANT with keeping
emo Ugh to breed from; nor was tner'
always foresight in this particular
The idea that pork might not be 81
high again, tor many years, induced
many farmers to sell the hogs tina
: they should have kept TO breed from
ana left them to depend upon youn:
and imperfect animals ter an increase
or caused them to trust to luck 10 bu,
stock hogs to be tattencd on thei
next crop OF corn.
Nor is this, by any means, the wors
feature of the case. We are told b
parties, who are conversant with a
fairs at the Stock Yards, that by IL
the larger portion OF the sows tbs
have come in during the past te,
weeks arc pregnant. Some OF ther
are not very lar advanced, but other
of them are near the period OF deliy
cry. A practice like this is ,solutel
revolving; aud We arc glad to hea
that bill has been introduced into tn
Legislature by Senator Dore, of tn
;. city, making 1t an offence at law, an
providing y suitable punishment. 1t
q disgrace to our civilization TINT sue
&c practice continues. The meat
such llogs is no more fit tor huma
'e food than the carcasses OF thcs. swii
\, into which the legioLs OF devils wen
We have reached At length the legi
innate result Of tins procedure. No
outstanding the almost unpreceden
ed h On pee for pork during tt
= packing season that has about com
n to an end, the hog crop in the WEI
y has fallen short OF former years full
'e half a. million. The truth is, til
re country is literally dra 4 OF hog
= In those Parts OF the South where hog
were once so abundant, there 10 mo-
very great scarcity, notwithstandin
the hog can live and do we'll ther'
when lett to pick up his TODD durin
the entire year. the war lett few {
these immense drovcs, ard most {
these few, the farmers who were with
out the means to buy meat iron
abroad, were obliged to slaughter to
immediate consumption. We saw
early last spring, two hun1rcd thou.
ond pounds oi pork landed from tn
steamer we We're on, at one tow
on the White river, in Arkansas An
here would seem to be the natur:
home OF the hog-genial SKIES abul
dant water, plenty OF grass and can
brake, wild fruit and nuts OF ever
description, and soil that rcquir,
but to be tickled with noe, to pr
duce an abundant harvest OF corn, al
other hog tattening material lndee
We were told by a t ,rmer here, that
% md after tour years absence frO
deserted Plantation, quite numb'
o b ,gs that had survived the shoe
OF war; and had lived all this time
the secluded cane brake at some di
lance r IN the usual routes OF trave
In view OF these facts, we think
requires no prophet to toretell tb
The high price Of pork is to contin,
for several years longer at least. The
, is nothing that viii cneck our toreis
demand, while very large amour
will be required to supply the Sout
sr..aat quantities, too, will be needle
for the miners and railroad worke
III the distant w est.
1t is true that hogs will multip
~