Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-08-05
More Corn and More Hoos.

We have often wondered in recent
years, why Maine farmers did not
| raise more hogs. AS a branch of the
farm industry the raising of hogs
| seems not to interfere with the dairy
the poultry house or the field products;
rather as a link of economy, caring for
surplus and waste. Perhaps young
Maine farmers dislike the slaughter,
and perhaps other objections enter
account, but the fact remains that in
late years. those who have given some
attention to raising pork for market
have realized good returns.
With the prices of meat foods soar
ing higher and higher. concerted at
tempts are being made to induce an
increase in hog raising. The Wall
Street journal says:
A change of nationwide significance
is already under way in the impending
big corn crop. Because of the bearing
of the corn yield upon the cost of
raising hogs, the influence of hogs for
market upon the price of meat, and
the effect of lower meat prices upon
the cost of living a big corn yield
might even have more political sig
nifieanee than any of the party plat
forms or other presidential pronounce
ments.
The way the corn crop is now be-
having should indicate a crop not far
o n ~
prospects became fairly well confirmed
by official reports. the price of corn
has been sliding downward from the
level of last years price on July l.
December corn is six cents bushel
cheaper, and if other feedstuffs pro-
duce cerrespondingly we may have
tifty-cent corn before Nov. 1. This
means that a greater proportion of a
mammoth crop may go into cattle and
hogs on the farm than at any earlier
time within several years.
Encouragement for meat consumers
can be found in the understanding
possibilities of swine, as compared
with any other meat-produeing animal.
Western stockmen are now advertising
pure bred hog sales for littering in.
/
alton in the early summer or late
spring of 1918. During the past six
months summer-born or autumn-born
pigs of 1911 have come to market, at
fifteen of the packing house centres of
the West. in numbers amounting to
Is, 0O0, 900 head, against 13,967 600 in 1911,
and only 1850, 900 head in the first half
of 1910. The increasing number OF
marketed hogs. in spite of lighter
average weight at most of these mar
kets, compared with earlier years, is
of much significance in the future of
meat prices.
Undoubtedly the basis of the produce
ton of swine in the past three years
has been broadening. On Jan. /, 1911,
the recovery from the previous year
was at the rate of 1913 per cent. On
Jan. l, 1912, the country had 65,410,000
swine, or about as in 1911. The aver
age price during 1911 was $3.50 for the
high at Chicago The rapid increase
during 1911 was due to the extremely
high price of 1910. averaging for the
high at Chicago $11.2 per 100 pounds.
| The impulse which these premium
| prices gave to the hog industry in 1911
was materially checked by last years
small corn crop of 1851, 10000 but the
fifteen markets in question received
over 100000 head more than in 1910 to
| June 30.
In the past half year the increase
| was 100000 head more than in 1910
| and the indications are that for the
latter half of this year and for the first
| half of 1918 the country will receive an
| unprecedented accession of corn-fed
hogs at it's Strengthening centers. to say
| nothing about the grass-fed and other
| varieties which good feed crops now
favor greatly above the condition of
1911. Apparently cheaper meat of this
| kind is in sight Cheaper meat and
cereals mean lower living costs, great
| er prosperity and wider political con-
| tentment.
l