Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-11-11
Farmers, Hold Your Hogs.

81. Z ollOW IdUrOuS duOt ltIueES, Ullo sea-
son has again arrived, when the packers
and dealers in the hog product are at
their old trick of trying to create panic
in the hog market, although the best
authority that we have access to show
conclusively that the hog cropis largely
short. The corn crop is also short,
which will have the effect to still fur
Their shorten the pork crop as the season
advances. Still hundreds of farmers
are rushing their hogs upon the market
at a sacrifice. You must recollect that
the corn your hogs were fattened on was
high priced corn, worth from 60 to IS
cents per bushel, SO that from to 7
cents is the lowest price for pork that
will bring you out clear, but if you will
persist in rushing your hogs half fatted
on the market, can you blame the pack
ers aud dealers for buying them as
cheap as they can?
Now what is the remedy? Have we
forgotten the lesson of last year SO soon,
that by keeping the bulk Of the hogs Off
the marked for the space of five weeks,
the price was advanced in the local
markets from cents to 5 cents per, ID.
Look at the option deals that are being
made-contract for the future-at a
less figure than cash meats are now
worth. Now suppose you keep your
hogs off the market, how are they going
to fill their orders I? They must have
the hogs or break. Had you not better
feed some more high priced corn than to
lose on all you have fedup to this time /;
But says one, I have not the corn nor
the money to buy with. Then there is a
way you can hold your hogs cheaply if
you can keep them for two weeks longer
till it cools little; kill, salt, and try in
to lard, this has always paid me and
largely, too.
[ know several farmers of my ac-
quaintance, who sold their hogs for 81
cents per tb. last fall, who have been for
the last three months buying side meat
at Is to 25 cents perth. and lard at about
the samefigures. Can you see any profit
in that.
Now what is the prospect for home
cut meat ?e argue that it never was
more promising for this reason. Butter
is scarce and is bound to be higher I'M
til next June. see inferior to COM
mon quoted at 10 to 20 cents per pound
while cash lard is AZ. Good fat hogs
will make lard enough to come to more
than the price now offered by the buy
ers, and leave the spareribs, backbones
and offal to pay for butchering, while
the hams and shoulders will remain
clear profit. But the prices now are
nothing what they will be next summer
and fall. [ shall not be surprised to
see nice hams sell at 80 cents per
pound in less than ten months, and
good lard in tubs and buckets at from
IS to % cents per pound.
Now you perhaps ask why? In the
first place, the crop to kill before the
first of March, 1875, is short one, and
second, it will in many instances be
poorly fattened. Third, there will be
no big cribs of old corn to make hogs
for the June market. Fourth, the high
price of and scarcity Of butter will pre-
vent it's being used in lieu of lard.
I have had considerable experience,
and handle and feed hogs by the hun
dred. would say to those who have
not tried it, to kill good fat hog OF
24O pounds; cut the hams and shoulders
nicely and salt and smoke, trying the
balance, and then weigh up the product,
look at the market price and what the
buyer would give for the hog alive, and
then see where the money ,isto say moth
ing OF the price of meats next spring or
summer when you should sell. More
anon. DAN'L G., RICHARDS
Sec'y Montgomery Council P. of II.