Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-09-02
Provissoy, Trade.

The commercial year Just closed is in its
results, upon the whole, satisfactory to this
branch of trade. The volume of business
transacted in the hog product in our city,
aggregates nearly double that of any pre-
cediDg year, while prices throughout the
season have been well maintained at reason
ably remuneiatiye figures to packers.
Prices for all classes of the swinal pro-
duct opened low at the commencement Of
ths season, though early in January, under
large export demand and heavy cOnsump-
tive orders, prices sharply advanced until
they reached paying point, and while the
regular packer met with fair commission
for his Investments, q number Of specula-
tors, who wens into cultures" at the high
est point, 'came to grief" at the maturity
of their contracts in the lat er part of May
and June, at which time value deprecated
materially, particularly In mess pork, and
some who were unable to meet the require
ments of he trade In the way of additional
margins, were compelled to "throw up the
sponge" and go under.
Notwithstanding the largely increased
packing of the season just closed over that
of the preceding year, say 5,4l0,314 head of
of hogs agains' 4, 831 ,558 Of the previous
weight of II $1,000 lbs. per head, the trade
has been exceedingly healthy, and the ex-
cessive home demand and immense exports,
the latter nearly or quite double as much as
ever before, leaves the sock Of hog pro-
ducts on hand now, probably very much
less than It was this time last year.
The greatest Increase in hogs was in the
more westerly Sta es, and in t is great rich
prairie section there is abuDd ut room for
extending the area of land devoted to the
cultivation of corn, and for years to come
we nay look for still more progress in this
direction. The corn crop throughout this
section, and indeed through the entire west,
is admitted to be exceedingly large, and ia
some localities Is said to be greater than ever
before. Il i an old adage among farmers,
that ga good corn crop makes good hog
CROP" and if this e true, We may reason
ably look for as large packing the coming
season as the last, if it is not even greater.
Prices for live swine will, probably, open
and rule at about the same figures as last
year, though at this writing it is too early
to speak in positive terms as to the range
prices will take. TIE receipts of hogs dur
ing the packing months Of the season just
closed, reached in round numbers about 80
or 81, 900 head, about 10000 OF which were
sent South, and the remainder went into
the hands of packers. Ths recsipts were
mainly drawn from the east side of Cum
berland river, but few coming into the
market from counties south of US; most
of the stock in Wilson, Williamson, Maury
and Giles counties, being purchased by
drovers and shipped on Southern account.
The roducs of Tennessee hogs, and its
method of curing is preferred to The coarser
product of the west, and our favorite
brands of &C. G. e. Hams" and 'Sno"
Flake Pastry Lard" are the Standards of
of superiority in the leading markets of
the South-the former for their delicacy
of favor and cure, AMI the latter for the
snowy wilderness, sweetness and purity.
Our packers sre putting their houses in Or
der and increasing their facilities for BUSH
ness, so as to take advantage Of the first
favorable weather after the season opens to
commence the winters Work.
The Southern trade generally can rely
upon securing their supplies of the hog pro-
duct in our market at as low figures as it
can be obtained in the west, and of much
better quality.
We give below a tabular statement of
prices for the year ending Aug. 81, 1873.