Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-10-12
THE HOG crop FOR 1872.

The Iowa State Auditors abstract of as
sessment for the year shows "a, 100 hogs
valued at SOP head. Last year the re-
turn was !, OOS,6Tl head valued at $2.56 a
head. From the lower valuation this year
than last, it is thought the hogs are gener-
ally younger; although farmers may
think the price per 100 lbs less prom
ising in 1872 than in 1871. The increase
in number Of nearly rs per cent does not
probably exceed the corn crop to tatten the
usual proportion of the whole number, so
that Iowa will have larger surplus Of fat
hogs to sell In the next four months this
year than last.
Illinois has the largest crop of corn ever
grown in the State; and probably has not
hogs enough to consume the grain that may
proftably be converted into pork and ba-
con. By feeding longer, and quite young
stock, her meat crop will be larger beyond
precedent.
Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky aud
Tennessee are distinguished as cOrn-grow-
ing aud meat producing States. We have
no statistics to indicate the number of
hogs this year as compared with last, in
these States. The same general agricultu-
raj prosperity that gives large increase in
Iowa, will doubtless add something to the
number of swine in the States named. II
Western farmers had cheap transportation
for meat to London and Liverpool, so as
practically to bring the producer aud con-
sumner close together, it would more than
double the value Of the farms in the great
Mississippi valley. Our meat crops pay
little profit to the producers, because trans
portation and middlemen take the lions
share. Western farmers should know
enough to correct this evil by acting as one
man on both national and State legislation.
The hog multiplies with great rapidity and
will yield large profit with good markets
Hogs can be raised mainly on clover and
at small cost; and corn and peas should be
soaked soft in water, if they are not cooked,
before feeding them. Sound economy in
making first rate meat is less studied and
less practiced than it ought to be in all the
West. It is branch OF farming that IA
vors the production of manure, and the i'm
proyement of land; and, therefore, al
should encourage it. A fat hog worth
from ten to twenty dollars, takes very little
bone earth out Of the soil when sent to q
distant market. 1t is far better TO export
corn in meat than in grain-SaVing CAREFUL
ly all the manure that results from feeding
From January first to October first, 1872
we exported 20, 81, PAS bushels of corn
an increase of II, 100000 bushels over {
corresponding period of last year. The
manure from two bushels of corn fed tt
fatting hogs will make more than one bush
eli gain in next years crop. Hence it is bar
policy to export corn.
We hope the National Pork Packers As
sociation, (recently formed) will do some
thing to increase the demand for hogs, an(
impart stability to the price of this grea
staple.
Tennessee farmers should meet in coun
ell at our State Fair, and talk over the mat
ter of turning all their crops to the oes
account, and post themselves in regard t.
markets. Now they do little or nothing Z
make their profit equal those of speculation
in agricultural products.