The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-05-04
why Pork Is High In Price.

why FORK ID fti8n In fricc.
Only twice In twenty years have the price
for hog products reached tho present leve'
and since tho war every such advance ha
como one or two years after short cor
crops, and has boon due directly to deflcien
hervests. II Is true that tho corn crop o
1897 was much below tho average, and suct
crops have heretofore boon immediately FOL
lowed by o free marketing OF swine. whicl
tho owners thought 1t Improbable, In view
OF tho high price OF corn. to feed longer o.
20 keep for breeding purposes: but in the
present case the usual procedure has beer
reversed, as n short corn crop has not been
followed by Increased but by diminished OF
fsrings. the winters packing having been
only about three.fifths tho number packed
IN the preceding year.
Il; While short corn crops have heretofore
jmmediately caused free marketing, to bt
followed a little latter by diminished sup.
plies. tho minimum OF offerings being
reached In from one to three years after the
harvesting OF a very deficient corn crop.
IN this instance the diminished offerings
preceded as well as followed the harvesting
Of the deficient crop OF 1892. and clearly are
due {, causes other than such as have
governed heretofore.
Present conditions. affecting the supply
OF the raw material entering into bacon.
ham. and lard. are evidently unusual and
due to some cause relating further back
and more permanent than a deficient corn
harvest, which otherwise would. as here
tofors. have had the immediate effect OF
enlarglng the supply by prompting the
marketing OF an undue proportion Of young
" well as breeding animals. to be ulti-
matoly followed by such n reduction OF
stocks rs necessarily results from drying
tho current at its source. Such results
followed the deficient corn harvests OF 1874
and 1881, and. In n lesser degree. the short
crop Of 1890. The present high range OF
prices. cannot, however. be attributed to
any such cause. rs tho acreage yield Of corn
tn 1891 was exceptionally high and the deli
Client supply OF swine was developed while
this great crop was fed and before the result
Of the corn harvest Of 1893 could be known.
IL IL true that many have attributed the
deficient supply to n short crop Of pigs in
the spring Of 1891. but the deficit was known
10 exist. and was discussed az early as Feb
yuary. 1892. as likely to obtain irrespective
of the pig crop then being weaned.
~ y S@uSoO Az COZ oLAoA v
ogo arc unusual in the United States,
wholly different from those heretofore pro-
ducipg high prices. and go to the very root
reproduction; and there seems little prob
ability Of this period OF high prices being
followed by one OF low prices. On tho con.
trary. present conditions are neither tenn
pofary nor such as are likely to end. as
heretofore, In prices below q remunerative
level, even II the acreage yield of corn shall
b for several years at the maximum.
With American rural processes q given
number OF swine imply q given number Of
snres Of oorn-the variations In the ratio.
due to increased or diminished yields per
acrs. being within . range. In either dlrec-
Hon. % narrow as not to have exceeded
In twenty years-as Toes q
gfven population imply the consumption Of
91von quantities Of the pork packers prod
uots: and In the possible event that acres
q corn shall not increase In the same ratio
, the pork.consuming population. then
The relative number Of swine Is certain TO |
oiminish. although the aggregate may In |
grease. This Is exactly what has occurred
during the last eight years, the number Of
pork eaters having Increased fully II, 0O0,-
700. without any increase whatever in the
number Of those engaged In raising the
supply of swine. The result Is
Been In vastly diminished relative supplies,
enhanced prices. and a shrinking
OF exports and the question Is, how
|0ng such . relatively lessened supply is
likely to continue. what effect 1t will nave
Ipop our foreign m and a balance
trade already seriously disturbed by the
prices ut which grain and cotton are
.oing abroad. and by the reduced number
y animals and small volume OF animal
being exported
The determining factor In the supply OF
wine for a population increasing as is that
u tho United States Is the relative album
kanoe or scarcity OF feeding material,
which Ii here almost exclusively corn, and
he supply Of this material cannot keep
400 with population unless an in mense
lew acreage IL yearly brought under cul-
and new pig growers added. In
Ike ratio. to the productive forces. With
mt new acres OF corn there will be few or
10 new pig growers and little addition to
supply Of pigs. while the pig-consuming
increases In ar ever progressively
Ireater yearly ratio. During the last
light years pig production In the United
has. practically. been at a standstlll.
nile consumption has increased at u pro-
|cessiyely augmenting aggregate.
bince the middle Of the ninth decade the
orn area has not increased. nor has the
pmber OF pig growers In any appreciate
egrFe. the result being that consumption
pork has overtaken and is likely to out
n production, and with the price advanc-
lg to o level out OF all proportion to prices
other farm staples the farmer has been
pmpted 10 part with his breeding stock,
reducing the supply OF swine below
be usual ratio. as related to acres OF corn;
nee some increase may be looked for, al
AouGh there can be no increase proportion
70 70 the increase Of population without q
|milsr Increase In the number of pig grow.
p. and this 10 impracticable without an
lCrease Of the corn area; hence the supply
swine. the number OF pix growers. the
rIaoa nf tha nnrk nonra.,s p,oll -