The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-11-05

! From the Cincinnati Price Current.
The commercial year OF pork packing
begins on the 1st Of November. and il
may not be out Of place to briefly review
| the features of the trade during the past
year A year ago the business of the
whole country was under a cloud of de-
preston, caused by the panic, and there
was great uncertainty of the effect which
would be produced upon the consumption
of provisions at home, while the failure
of the grain crops in Europe made it
doubtful whether the foreign demand
would be large enough to take our sur
plus pork. Under these circumstances
the season opened with many nisgivings
on the part of packers, and they felt that
they were taking great risks in buy
ing hogs even at the low price
of Sc 7Gy54 90 gross, but as the
season advanced, and there
proved to be liberal home and foreign
demand for the product, they gained
more confidence, and there was steady
advance in prices up to the last of jan
uary, when the rates current were $500
@6 gress-an advance, it will be seen,
OF so per cent. As high as 1928 was
paid, we believe, for few hogs the first
week in February, but the season was
virtually over in this market then. This
beginning and course of the market was
the best possible for the final outcome of
the trade. The low prices ut which the
product could be afforded insured lar
ger foreign demand than otherwise would
have existed, and the surplus stock was
so much reduced early in the season that
it became practicable to obtain largely
remunerative prices during most OF the
year. 1t is worthy of remark that
while the statistics show that the
reduction in foreign exports OF lard and
meats for the year, is greater than the
reduction in the number of net pounds
produced, still the stock on hand is
smaller than it was year ago in all OF
the manufacturing and distributing
markets, which indicates that the do
nestle consumption has increased.
Whether this increase is more than
would naturally arise from the steady
growth of population it is impossible to
determine accurately, but 1t Is probable
that the South has consumed more, for
her large cotton crops of last year in
creased her ability to buy, and the open
ing to the country in the southwest of
Missouri by the completion Of railroads
has increased the demand from TINS
Quarter. There has been an increase also
in the demand from the mining districts
of the West, and the lumber regions OF
the North, but to what extent there are
no available statistics to determine.
Stocks were reduced So low during the
summer that prices advanced 100 per
cent, but as October approached there
was heavy decline from the highest
point, under the prospect of getting new
meats, and although the weather for De-
tober has proved to be too warm for cur
ing meats it has been impossible to pro-
duce much of a reaction in prices, not
outstanding the light stocks, for the
summer-cured meats come IN to eak out
the supply, and the demand has doubt
less been checked by the high prices cur
rent 81.
The closing year has been an exc"p-
tionally good one for the provision trade,
while most other branches of business
Lave been depressed, and now the inter
est centers upon the incoming season, OF
which We may have something to say I'D
another article.