Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-06-24
E%fsAmerican Hog

The present reign of high prices in the
hog raisinL industry in the United
,ates Is without precedence in the his
tory OF pork in times OF peace and plen-
ty The average price of hogs during
the decade of l900-1909 was higher by
at least 20 per cent than during any 9TH
er recent decade. And yet the figures
for 1910 have gone far above the average
for the decade. The Iact tnat the popu-
alton has increased more rapidly tnan
has the number OF hogs is largely res
ponsible for this, although the preva-
lence of tuberculosis an cholera among
hogs is believed 10 nave mad something
to do w4.n IL. 1t is said that two per
cent of all the hogs slaughtered at the
abattoirs o. the country are afflicted
with tuberculosis, and mat one-tenth OF
tn csc are so badly diseased that they have
no value except for the making OF Ter
tilizer or grease.
This disease sometimes attacks the
finest herds, and it is no uncommon ex-
perience for the pest loIs of hogs APP
pearing in me market on given day
to be the ones afflicted Wiz tuperculo-
sis The disease is less apparent in the
stock on the hoof among hogs than
among any 9th er domestic animals. The
department of agriculture is striving To
locate the injected SWINE throughout the
country. 1t finds, however, that 1T is
NJ easy to trace the hogs back to their
home farms. Its agents have MI upon
tie plan of tagging all hogs as they ar
rive at a shipping point, and keeping
recorL which will show what grower 1T
livered them there. In tins way they
hope to be able to locate the infected
herds, and with the aid Of the state au-
thorities to establish such a quarantine
as will enable them to eradicate large
percentage of the disease.
One of the principal ways OF spreading
tuberculosis among nogs is returning of
unpasteurized SKINNED milk to the farm
from creameries. One tubercular cow
may spread the infection to a whole
neigh borho God. The susceptibility of
hogs to infection in this way is illustrat-
eo by the fact that in one instance SO
per cent of a herd of healthy hogs con-
tracted tuberculosis after being fed only
three days on milk from tubercular
cows.
Among the domestic animals Of the
word, the hog RANKS third In number,
there being 13S.000,000 hogs. Sheep
an. cattle second place, with All 100000.
There Is one sheep in the world for eve
~ three persons, one bovine for every
four, and one hog to every eleven. The
United States leads AL the countries of
the world IN hog production, with 49,
100000 swine on It's farms, while Europe
has more than any other continent, there
compared with 100000 North Amer
lea. Among the states of the union
hnI he alYY1f hn
being accredited with a stock of $685.
900 swine. Illinois, Texas and Nebraska
follow IN order, each of these states
having more than 100000 hogs.
1t is said that nowhere else in the
United States are the hogs so healthy
ss in Texas and Oklahoma, this being
due to the fact that they are raised
largely on ranges, and como in contact
with few of the diseases that are pecu-
liar to the hog in the eastern states.
The department of agriculture believes
that it is incumbent upon the hog rails
ers of the country to improve their
stock, asserting that pork will feel. the
first pinch of production in the
United States. The average value per
head of the hogs in the United States,
even under the high prices prevailing
at the beginning of the year, was only
"
produce a standard hog with a value of
at least SIS. To do this, it will be nee
essary to improve the stock of more
than half the hogs of the United States,
and to adopt more modern methods of
feeding and fattening.
More pork is produced in the United
States than any other kind of meat.
While the weight of cattle went
to the slaughter houses of the country
in a year, at the time of the recent
census inquiry on the subject, exceeded
the weight of the hogs by nearly
1000, 900, 900 pounds, yet the weight Of
the pork resulting from the slaughter
ing operations exceeuUU the weight of
the dressed beef by fully 1,oo0,ooo.0oo
pounds. The hogs at the packing
houses weighed 6.5s6.00O pounds. while
the dressed meat amounted to nearly
100000, 900 pounds. Not only In the
amount of meat produced. does the hog
outrank every other animal in the
United States, but also in the value
thereof. The pork products of the
slaughter houses of the country were
found to be worth sS29,0o0. 900. as com
pared with $2S9,0o0,000 for beef, and
S44.0oo,000 for, mutton.
1t is estimated by an Iowa banker
that 75 per cent of the money on de-
post in his bank is derived from the
sales of hogs. Taking the neighbor-
hood butchering into account. the bu-
reau of animal industry estimates that
10000 hogs are slaughtered every
year, so compared with 100000 cat
tle and 24,o 900 sheep. If we except
such by-products as the hair and other
offal, 1t may be said that the hog IL
the only domestic animal raised in the
United States exclusively for it's meat.
England annually imports 100000
tons of bacon, valued at ss5 200. 900.
It's highest priced pork comes from
Denmark, with ireland, Canada, and
the United States. next in order as to
the value per pound OF the pork pro-
ducts taken into, England. Denmark,
while only one-third the size OF the
state of New York, annually produces
00n 000 worth of pOrk pr0ducfs