The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1871-09-07
Improved Hogs and Cheap Pork.

The following timely suRgcstloDs from
the Chicago Lire Stock journal VIII
commend themselves to all r~lght-thlnk-
ina farmers. Not only Ia 1t necessary
10 Improve the breed, but every element
in The problem of how to produce the
greatest amount Of pork at the least pos
sible cost must be used. The profits OF
farming arise from small savings from
a great variety Of products. II pork
can be produced from an Improved
breed Of hogs ut two-thirds the cost 1t
can from the razor-back species, 1t may
be sold for one-third less with the same
profit. The time Is decidedly prOpitiOus
for the introduction Of better breeds,
not only because there is more profit In
them, but because they may be bought
cheaper than heretofore. Let every
farmer procure at least q pair OF thor
ough- bred Bcrkshlrcs or Essex, and we
win guarantee they will give satisfac-
tlOn II procured from a reliable breeder
Advertisements In our columns will II
rect the farmer where he may procure
an unmixcd breed:
IL IA very evident that the low price
to which pork has fallen, has exercised
an %unfavOrablc influence upon the de-
mand for improved hogs for breeding
purposes. Many farmers seem to think,
that because pork is low they cannot
afford to purchase improved stock for
breeding, and that until there Is more
money In pork they had better trust to
luck and common stock. A greater
mistake could not possibly be made.
When pork WAS worth ~ to 30 live
weight, 1t made very little difference
what the price OF corn happened to be,
how 1t was fed, or what kind OF stock
hogs were in the pens-the margin was
80 great that whoever bought hogs and
fed corn was sure to make a handsome
profit, without any attention to those
business principles which arc indispen-
sable TO success when profits arc small
and competition active. But, at from
SO 80 to 81 on foot, the amount of money
in pork is n matter which depends very
much upon the manner in which the
feeding is conducted. IL a nan pays
for his corn twice what his nei2hbor
pays, II he wastes half of 1t through an
injudlcious mode of feeding, 1t is doubt
full whether he makes a great deal OF
money; and II he pens up a score or
two of the razor-back or sun fish breed
to operate upon under these conditions,
it Is very certain that his prospects of
making much will become very slim
indeed. When people Ia other kinds of
business find prizes too low to give
them any profit. they at once c"t dorm
The erpenscs, and that Is just what hog.
raiscrs hare got to do. lfpork is to sell
continually on the lower side Of -, they
must cut down the expense Of produc-
ing the hog; that is, raise hogs which
they can develop and fattcn on less corn.
There 10 an absolute certainty that no
permanent range Ofprices will be cstab-
iishcd, which are below the cost OF
economical production. But the mar.
gin for profit may be small. And with
a small profit the farmer who raises
hogs which dcvOlcp early, and can be
fattened on the smallest amount ofcorn,
will mako money, where the growers OF
the razor-back species will encounter
nothing but losses. The razOr-backs
did well enough at $40, but they will
bankrupt the farmer who feeds them
for a three dollar market. The lower
the price of pork, the greater the ncces-
sity for improved stock. And the far
mcr who falls back upon common swine
In an emergency like this, Is boring a
holc(with n post-auGur at that) IN inc
bottom of bis own boat.