Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1872-11-16
THE HOG CROP.
that NIL our Farmers are
Interested I'm.

Something that all our Farmers mr.,
Interested In.
From actual and estimated returns
OF the hog crop in the various Western
States, an increase in the supply ma,
be expected this year, and probabl,
for many years to come. In Iowa Tho
number according to an advance shee
of the State Auditors's abstract ot
assessment for this year, is 1,2A, ,16g
head, against 1,0OS,67l head for 1871
and their total valuation was $2,521,.
240, or 50 OF per head, whilst last ycar
their valuation was S2,6S2. .681, or s.
56 per head. This comparatively low
average indicates that the mature hogs
have been nearly all sold off, and that
the stock now chiefly consists OF
young animals. But this difference
will soon be made up by the bountiful
corn crop, which is freely fed out to
them. The crop in Missouri is also in
a similar condition, the stock consist
ing mostly of hogs, which, however.
will be fully maturcd by the commence
ment of the packing season. From
Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, and, in fact,
nearly all the Western and Southwest
ern States we have accounts of a
marked increase this year, and the ap-
proaching season promises to be one
of unusual activity. This
INCREASE IN THE hoo CROP
is natural result of the abundant
corn harvest this year and last. The
corn product of last year was very
large-so large in fact, that the new
harvest, which is even still more pro-
ductive than the last, finds consider
able proportion Of last years surplus
in stock, owing to the want of adequate
facilities for transporting it to mark
ct. The West has heretofore relied
on the Southern States to take a con-
siderable quantity oftheir corn Surplus.
But this outlet has been cut off, for
the last two years, from the very ex-
cellent reason that the South now not
only produces enough corn to meet
the demands of home consumption,
but has a surplus for expectation.
The foreign demand is limited partly
by the high cost and scarcity of trans
portation, and partly by the fact that
there is still considerable prejudice in
Europe against the consumption of
American corn. But the comparative
deficiency in the wheat crop neverthe-
less afforded an outlet for corn that
probably would not have occurred un-
der more bountiful yield of wheat,
and the corn exports this year were on
more extensive scale than usual. As
an evidence of the large yield Of corn,
it may be noted that the total visible
supply, including stocks in this city
and the lake ports and in transit Sept.
%, amounted to 13,690,7S4 bushels
against z ,054, 900 bushels at the CORES
ponding period last year. The exports
of corn from the lst of January to
the lst of October, 1872, were 20,722,-
245 bushels, an increase of IL 900, 600
bushels, over the corresponding period
last year.
AT PRESENT PRICES,
and with the large supplies on hand,
farmers cannot find more profitable
investment for their corn than to con-
vert into pork. In that form it is
nearly always sure of market, and in
a more available and less bulk form.
The foreign demand for pork is al
most certain to be stimulated by the
growing necessities of European con-
sumers. In England there is slow
but certain decline in home growth of
cattle and live stock, which has al
ready advanced the price of meat to
an unusually high figure. As this in
crease is more likely to increase than
diminish, demand will almost neces-
sarily spring up for all kinds of Amer
can produce, that is likely to grow to
very large proportions at no distant
date. The recent formation of the
National Pork Packers Association,
and the establishment ofa new and ac-
curate grading system, is calculated to
exercise timely and favorable infu-
ence on the export demand.
THE PROSPECT.
Thus with an almost unlimited ca
pacity in the West, for the manufac-
turc of pork, and with the probability
of constantly increasing and proper
tionate foreign demand, there is every
reason to anticipate that the hog crop
of the future is destined to assume
immense proportions. The indications
of an extensive business during the
approaching packing season are favor
able. Formers are generally feeding
their hogs at an earlier date than usu-
al, and owing to the abundance and
cheapness of food the average weight
is likely to be heavier than in former
years, while there will be gain
in number. AT present the pork pack
ers manifest tendency to discontinue
their purchases among farmers, and
compel the latter to send their hogs TO
market. The result of this movement
depends largely on prices, and on the
rivalry that may exist between the va
rious pork packing centcrs.-N T.
BulleHh.
A PETRIFIED baby has been ex-
humed from Chicago cemetery. The
! Times Savs.