The Columbus journal., 1881-05-04
Pork and Politics.

We produced 1857, 600, 900 bushel
of Indian corn in the United State
last year. In the four years, ending
with 1880 our total product of thi
king of cereals was 5,020,OOO,OOO o
bushels. The bare production of thil
corn requires a well-cultivated ares
Of 10000, 900 acres which means no
less than 100000 farms, and give,
employment in agriculture alone te
100000 workmen, n,repsenting pop
ulation of not less than 25,0O0,OO0
The chief uses of this article are fol
bread, feed and the manufacture OF
whisky. We export in the grain
condition about 100000 bushels,
and there is about as much convert.
ed into spirits. We export of corn
converted into pork, lard, beef, NUT
ton and diary products not less than
the value of $4,000 900 a year, rep
resenting say 6OO,OOO,OOO bushels OF
corn. This accounts for just about
one-half the annual crop. The other
half is consumed by the producers.
The annual hog crop, converted into
pork, lard, hams, bacon, etc., for ex-
port and for consumption in the
urban aud manufacturing districts
Of the United States, may be mod
erately stated at about 1880 tons,
or 2,470.OO0,0O0 pounds. This is the
smaller part of the total production.
The larger part is consumed by the
producers, and enters to a greater
extent than any other food supply
including both corn bread and pork
in all forms into the daily subsistence
of the domestic population of this
country.
Above all other people in the
world the Americans are pork eat
ers, particularly on the farms and in
the small villages, where beef and
mutton are exceptional meats. We
could, therefore, better dispense
with any other agricultural staple
than Indian corn. A failure of the
cotton crop-say to the extent of 80
per cent-would cause US a loss of
500, 600, making due allowance
for the increase in price which such
q failure would cause in the Euro
pean markets. But a failure of the
corn crop to the extent of 80 per
cent would cost us 30O,0OO,OO0 and
be felt almost to the point of star
vstion throughout the Union and in
several countries of the Old World,
now depending on the United States
for a large part of their supplies.
both in bread and meat. Should
stop entirely her shipments
Of corn, bacon, pork, lard and other
food supplies resulting from corn,
10 England, it would cause famine
in the manufacturing districts and a
political discomfort bordering on
For prices of all arti.
;les Of consumption would be dou.
bled or trebled, and the operatives
would demand a greater advance in
wages than the manufacturers could
Afford. The situation in France and
Belgium is better, less dependent on
America for food than in England
but even in those countries the peo-
pie are gradually looking in our
for meat supplies, because
hey can be procured from us cheap
sr than they can be produced at
home. The French government has
lecreed the exclusion of American
pork in all its various forms, be-
;suse of false report that it was
generally diseased. The result may
be disastrous to a few Chicago spec
llators. If that is all, so much the
better. But it is not likely to be of |
permanent injury to the American
producers of pork and corn: and
should France experience q year of |
great scarcity, she will be compelled |
% revoke the foolish decree and |
again draw on US for her meat sup
ply, or do worse-face q revolution.
European manufacturing countries
,an no better do without American
pork than without American cotton,
because we can supply them in un.
limited quantity with the former as
we'll as the latter, and at lower rates
han any other country. Moreover,
whatever may be said in depreca-
ion of the quality of our pork and
bacon, it is a well known fact that
Indian coru food produces better
pork than any other food, and in
.his cereal the United States has no
-ival. Other states besides hose
known as "the }"
'tates-namely, Ohio, Indians, g h
ucky, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota,
Kansas, Nebraska. Wisconsin,, Mich
gan, and Illinois-psoduce corn, but
here is no other region in the world
10 well adapted 1t once to corn and
he feeding aud curing of pork as
hat we have named. Corn can be
,rown and hogs fattened in the
outhern states and elsewhere; bat
he climate is neither so well fitted
or the healthy growth of the swine
4 Sha a., rson nf fho r,oof oa In tba