Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-08-26
IMPROVED HOGS AND CHEAP
PORK.

The following timely suggestions from
the Chicago Live Stock Journal will
commend themselves TO all right-thinking
farmers. Not only is it ecessary to i'm
prove the breed, but every element in the
problem of how to produce the greatest
amount of pork at the least possible cost
must be used. The profits of farming
arise from small savings from great
variety of products. If pork can be pro-
duced from an improved breed of hogs
at two-thirds the cost it can from the
razor back species, it may be sold for
one-third less with the same profit. The
time is decidedly propitious for the intro
duction of better breeds, not only be-
cause there is more profit in them, but
because they may De bought cheaper than
heretofore. Let every farmer procure at
least pair of thorough bred Berkshires
or Essex, and we will guarantee they will
give satisfaction if procured from a re-
liable breeder. Advertisements in our
columns will direct the farmer where he
may procure an unmixed breed:
1t is very evident thst the low price to
which pork has fallen, has exercised sn
unfavorable influence upon the demand
for improved hogs for breeding purposes.
Many farmers seem to think, that because
pork is low they cannot afford to pur-
chase improved stock for breeding, and
that until there is more money in pork
they had better trust to luck and com
mon stock. A greater mistake could not
possibly be made. When pork was worth
81 to $40 live weigh, it made very little
difference what the price of corn hap
pened to be, how was fed, or what kind
of stock hogs were in the pens-the
margin was 50 great that who
ever bought hogs and fed corn
was sure TO make a handsome profit,
without any attention to those
business principles which are indis-
pensable to success when profits are small
and competition active. But, at from
S.. so to 81 on foot the amount of money
in pork is g matter which depends very
much upon the manner in which the
business of feeding is conducted. Ii
man pays for his corn twice what his
neighbor pays, if he wastes half OF it
through an injudicious mode of feeding,
it is doubtful whether he makes great
deal of money; and if he pens up a score
or two of the ra=or-bsck or sun fish breed
to operate upon under these conditions,
it is very certain that his prospects of
making much money will become very
slim indeed. When people in other
kinds of business find prices too low
to give them any profit, they st once
cat dOaUn the expenses, and that is just
what hog-raisers have got to do. If pork
is to sell continually on the lower side of
81, they must cut down the expense of
producing the hog; that is, rai,e hogs
which they can develop and fatten on
less corn. There is an absolute certainty
that no permanent range of prices will
be established, which are below the cost
of economical production. But the mar
gin for profit msy be small. And with a
small profit the farmer who raises hogs
which develop early, and can be fsttened
on the smallest amount of corn, will
make money, where the growers of the
razor back species will encounter nothing
but losses. The rszor-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 necessity for i'm
proved stock. And the farmer who falls
back upon common swine in an emergen>
cy like this, is boring hole with post
augur at that in the bottom of his own
boat