Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-11-27
THE SWINE INDUSTRY.

Some Startling aud Interesting u Figures.
For the past fifty years swine have
been grown in this country for market
purposes. and sinco the beginning the
industry has been constantly growing.
until now 1t has reached point in
magnitude which is quite astonishing
to those who have never before had {
brought to their notice. Forty years
ago the produce OF the country was
only about 1000, 900 year. In 1866
the number received at the Chicago
market alone was 96l. .746; in 1875 the
number was S.9l2, 110. aud in 1884 il
vas 1059.S55. Estimating the moder-
ate price of So per head. the value of
the hogs received at Chicago last year
was S42, ,Sl5. 1856. This represents only
portion of hogs sold during the past
year. Kansas City. Cincinnati Milwau-
kee and other markets having had COM
paratively increased receipts.
That the pork-packing institutions OF
this country are of much more magni-
tude may be seen from the following
figures: The number of hogs packed in
the West during the winter season
lS84-5 was s, AGO, 240, which cost an av-
erage of $4.2 per hundred pounds, and
with their average weight of 266.51
pounds their total cost was $67, 480.
30S. The value of the pork products
exported during the calendar year of
1884 was $59. 1862, 96l. These figures
are supplied by the Cincinnati Price
Ca,reat, and may be considered au-
thentic.
The same industry is growing in other
ways than in figures. During the past
twenty years intelligent and energetic
men have gwen much time and atten-
ton to the development of that part OF
the business pertaining to the raising
and fattening of swire, and as result
OF their labors we have today not only
improved breeds of swine. but we have
more thorough, scientific MANAGE
mont in their product on. Better sys-
toms of feeding and fattening have been
devised, which tend to lessen labor as
well as the quantity Of food consumed.
and consequently the cost OF produc.
ton, which is in the case OF swine one
of the price-making facts.
The larger portion Of hogs are pro-
duced in the States OF Ohio, Indiana.
illinois. Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Min
nesota, Michigan and Wisconsin. and
in some of these States the production
on scale that is surprising. individ-
ual farmers and stock raisers no. un-
feluently rails ng and shipping to mar.
ket $40, 900 worth Of hogs in year.
The average weight of hogs shipped to
market is about 200 pounds, There is
room for Improvement in this pariicu-
lar and the time will come when by
more care in breeding and feed ng this
average will be increased fifty pounds
without additional cost 10 the producer.
The prospective supply Of hogs is about
as large as at this tine last year, and
it would doubtless bo larger If large
losses had not resulted from the raw
ages OF cholera during the past winter
Hogs are born in the spring and in
the fall, and as they are usually ready
for the market at year old the supply
is naturally largest at these seasons.
According to the statistics Of tho De-
partment OF Agriculture the number Of
swine in the United States is estimated
at 40, 14S. 800, an increase OF about g.
000. 600 over the previous year. This
supply represents about $500, 900, 00Q
--FasnA gie'd and StocktnaA