Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1885-10-24
The Swine Industry.

For the past fifty years swine
has been grown in this country for
marked purposes, and since the be-
ginning the industry has been con-
StantlS growing, until now it has
reached point in magnitude
Which is quite astonishing to those
who have never before had 1T
brought to their notice. Forty
wears ago the produce of the coun-
Try was only about 2.00O.OO0 year
In 1866 the number received atthe
Chicago market alone was 96l, 74G;
Il. 1875 the number was 3,9l2,110,
and IN 1854 it was 7,059,S55. ESti-
mating the moderate price of IS
per head, the value Of the hogs re
ceived at Chicago last yeal was
$42 .S15,73G. This represents only
portion of hogs sold during the
past year, Kansas City, Cincinnati
Milwaukee and other markets hav-
iny had comparatively increased
receipts.
That the pork packing institu-
tio.s of this country are OF much
more magnitude may be seen from
tile following figures: The number
Of hogs packed in the West during
the winter season 1SS4.5 was 5,4GO,
go. which cost an average of S4.29
per hundred pounds, and with their
average weight of 266.5l pounds
their total cost was So, 4S0, 303.-
Tile value of the pork products ex
ported during the calendar year Of
1874 was S59,G62.961. These figures
me supplied by the Cincinnati
Price Current, and may be consid.
cred authentic.
1'hc same industry is growing in
other ways than in figures. Dur
ing the past twenty years intelli.
gent and energetic men have given
much time and attention to the de-
vciupment of that part of the bust
hess pertaining to the raising and
fattening of swine, and as Il result
of their laborS we have to day not
only improved breeds of swine, but
We have Il more thorough, scientific
management in their productlon.-
Better sys:oms of feeding and fat
tening have been devised, which
tend to lessen labor as we'll as the
quantity OF food consumed, and
consequently the cost Of production
which is in the case of swine one of
TIN. price making facts.
The larger portion Of hogs are
pf.duced in the States of Ohio, In
dina, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Ne.
hraska, Minnesota, Michigan and
Wisconsin, and in some of these
States the production is on o scale
hat is surprising, individual far
mer. and stock raisers not untre
q..cntly raising and shipping TO
market $4,000 worth OF hogs in a
year. The average weightof hogs
SlIpped to market is about 200
pounds. There is room for improve
.vilr in this particular, aud the
ine will come when by more care
III breeding and feeding this aver
az: will be increased fifty pounds
without additional cost to the pro
d Ger. The prospective supply of
hugs is about as large as at this
time last year, and it would doubt
less be larger if large losses had
moi resulted from the ravages of
cholera during the past winter
legs aIe born il the spring aud in
tie fall, and as they are usually
ready for the market at n year cid
lie supply is naturally largest at
these seasons. According to the
statistics of the Department of
Agriculture tie number of swine in
,ne United States is estimated at
5,143,5GO, an increase or anout g
CUU.GOO over the previous year,
This supply represents about $780,
.GO,0O0.-Falm, Field and Stock
laln.