The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1871-11-25
The Hog Crop.


The Louisville Oourier-Jourral has the
following in relation to this important sub
jeet: 4
Statistics show that there are over thirty
millions ofhogs in the United States. The
market draws from this stock annually, &C
cording to the contingencies Of the market
itself. Usually we>believe, about four Or
five millions of these hogs are slaughtered
annually but of course the contingencies
mentioned, more or less affect the draft upon
the main stock.
Those who watch the reports of the crops,
and take into their calculations those events
which affect the demand, such as famine
and war, etc, etc, can form an estimate of
the number of hogs which will be thrown
upon the market, and of the probable turns
and changes in the trade, which will APP
proximate the result near enough for the
purposes of business men and dealers in the
staple. Such ar estimate We give below
from Gen. William johnson, of Scott county,
one Of the most careful and conscientious
authorities on the subject in the State. Gen.
Johnson's opinions although they may differ
from those Of many others interested in. the
hog question, are entitled to weight and
credit. 1t will be seen that he anticipates
a short hog crop and higher prices:
The crop of hogs of 1870 and 1871 was
much the largest crop We have ever had in
the West, say nearly a million more than
ever before, and during the summer Chicago
has received from two to ten Thousand every
day during the warm weather, and all the
other cities in the same proportion. Not
outstanding the extra large crop and sum
mer curing, tho stock has been CONSUMED.
In lS69-7O prices were very high, say from
eight TO ten dollars. The high prices Of
that year, together with the extremely fine
crop of corn, produced this large supply, all
other products being comparatively much
lower, and at those prices it was the best
thing a farmer could turn his attention to.
A large corn, crop always adds to the crop
of hogs, as farmers can, in August, Septem-
Der, October and November, put IN about
two hundred pounds to each hog, when they
are of good quality so that pigs and shoats
can be made into large hogs very soon when
we have plenty of corn.
This year there was no inducement like
that that existed last year. Last seasons
prices being so low, and it being the general
expectation to get low prices this season,
the same attention was not paid to hogs,
and the farmers turned their attention to
other products, such as hemp, tobacco, etc.
Besides, there has been a short crop of corn
made in the West this year, owing to the
great drouth. AS evidence ofthis, you have
no June rise in the Ohio river, and you
have had no coalboat rise since last spring,
and 1t has been SO dry in the Northwest
that the country Las been on fire, and great
losses have occurred, all owing to the ex-
c~essive dry Weather. The corn crop is said
to be fine in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, ETC.,
but short in the South and in Kentucky,
Ohio, etc. Owing to the extremely short
crop of corn, farmers cannot feed, and are
pushing their hogs on the market. Where
they have corn to feed with, water is so
scarce that they could not feed their hogs.
and have driven them to market, that being
the best they can do. This will account for
so early2reeeiving SO large a number, and
by being sent in SO soon they will be much
Lighter than usual. ..,i. -..-. .
50 I conclude that VIC are not to have so
many hogs this year as last, the reason to
me being conclusive on that point.