Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-09-01

enterprising business men.
Provisions.
The provision interest of our city is one
of incalculable importance to our trade
generally, and the business for the year
Just closed has developed an increase IN
that line far beyond the most sanguine an
ticipations of those engaged in 1t and the
magnitude of its growth during the period
mentioned, has only been circumscribed
by the want of more capital to push 1t for
ward to still greater prominence. Sltua-
ted in one of the most favorable locations
ID the country, both as to transportation
facilities and the procurement Of choice
swine, our market presents superior induce
ments to the Southern trade as a point
from which to draw its provision supplies.
Our climate for the curing of meats is
mach better and more rapid in its effects
than the markets located in more Northern
ATTITUDES, as it is a well understood fact
that there is more danger in the curing
of meats from excessively cold weather
than there is from a milder temperature.
Our prices have, during the year, COM
peted favorably with those of the West and
in many instances ruled considerably lower.
This. with cheaper rate of freight and
the acknowledged superiority of Tennessee
meats, certainly affords to the cotton States
contiguous to US market more advanta-
geous in which to make their purchases
than those at greater distance, and more
pretentious in their claims.
Thepopularity of our hams, both country
and city cured, is wide spread. In this
connection and as simple act of justice,
we cannot refrain from especial mention of
the celebrated hams made by Messrs Hart
& Hensley, the pioneers IN this branch of
trade since the close of the war and to
whose energy, business sagacity and en-
terprise much is due for the present -four
ishing condition and proportions of the
provision business in our city. Their
trade mark &C. G. c., has become almost
as q household word throughout the
Southern States, and the superb curing and
delicacy of flavoring of these hams, are
known and recognized from Boston to
New Orleans.
The market for hogs at the commence
nent of this season opened at dangerous
figures, and our packers accepted the stu
alton with reluctance, though the demands
of the trade forced them to go in" at
least to some extent Before the season
was near over the promise of reasonable
commission for the investment was rem
dered SO precarious and uncertain, that our
houses, after bringing about 10000 head
to the block, closed up and declined to buy
mOrea at the extravagant rates, preferring to
take the chances for supplies of stock from
other sources rather than continue
Strengthening for their own account The
result has fully demonstrated the wisdom
and prudence Of our packers in SO doing.
While they have had q reasonably profitable
season, Western packers have generally
suffered severely. With the present high
priced experience of dealers and the i'm
mense corn crop now maturing, we may
look for much more equitable prices for
swine during the coming season, and we
doubt not that business will be more sat
isfactory, both to the packer and consumer,
than that from which we are just emerging
Prices for hogs on foot ruled much lower
with us during the Strengthening months
of the wear than those of the West, our
average being sc e 100 TBS gross, while the
Western markets advanced our figure from
l to &c z 100 lbs.
Our market for the season Just closing,
so far as we have been able to ascertain,
figures up the sales of the product Of from
100, 600 to 125, 900 head of hogs. The
stock comprising this amount, outside of
our own packing, was chiefly drawn from
the country and country pork hams, the
meat from the latter being generally of
most excellent quality, though some large
offerings have been made during the sea-
son of inferior and mast fed meats, con-
signed from certain localities where there
existed a scarcity of corn. This, however,
was sold altogether upon its own merits.
Our packers are making extensive prep