The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-10-06
United States Great Hograising Country of
World, and His Porcine Majesty Adds
Enormously to Our Nations
Wealth.

OF Deer Dy L9B,OO,UD POUNDS tHls
gives vivid notion Of the superiority
CT the pig as an economical meat pro-
drcer. 1t may be mentioned inriden
tally THAT we consume in the United
States More than a, billion pounds Of
lard annually. or about sixty-fwo
pounds for the average family. And.
In addition, we export three-auarte!s
of a tillion pounds of lafd every year.
During the ten years from 1880 to 1903
the average value of a pig in this coun-
try was A.s1: From that time on II rose
very rapidly, though with fluctuations,
and In 1911 the American hog. reaching
its highest figure, was worth ss.5. Since
then It has dropped. and at this writing
the animal Is quoted at IS. Seven States
of the Union together have nearly s.
O0O,0o0 swine-i. e., Iowa. Minnesota,
Missouri. the Dakotas. Nebraska. and
Kansas. Iowa has more than twice as
many pigs as any other State. and pro-
duced last year a billion and a half
pounds of pork and pork products.
In the entire world there are IA. 900. 900
known swine. But this does not include
China and few other countries. such
as Persia. Afghanistan. and parts of
Africa where such figures are hard to
get. II 1t be assumed that the total
number OF pigs in the world Is 800 900. 900.
II will be seen that In the United States
ve have tas already stated about one
third OF all the hogs in existence. We
own 65.il0.ooo Germany is second. with
1880. 900. and Austria-Hungary. with H.
s7sOoo. stands third. European Russia
has ll.sI.Oo0 and France comes fifth,
with $4,000 Japan Possesses 80. 800
swine.
Farmers Sold Porcines.
When the recent period Of Industrial
depression arrived. In 1907. farmers all
over the United States disposed of their
pigs. They even sold their brood sows
This. In fact, was the beginning of the
shortness of pork. But fortunately the
supply Of hogs was readily renewable.
their rate of reproduction being SO rapid.
II Is different with the beef animal But
another factor that has entered impor-
family into the hog problem is the price
Of corn Hitherto a large fraction of
our enormous annual corn crop has come
to market In the shape Of pork. bacon,
hams. and lard. This was highly eco
nomical in 1906. when the farmer could
get only 10 cents a bushel for his corn.
but this year he can sell IL for so cents
or more, and there is no money in feed
ing it to pigs.
In the great hog raising States, how
ever. they are solving the problem By
sWltcnlnS tne nos 0let from corn 10
alfalfa That wonderful forage plant.
being rich in nitrogen. makes lean meat.
II is a growth food, and pigs fed on II
gain size with extraordinary rapidity.
They eat 1t green or dried and ground
to flour.
The government experts say that IL is
a mistake to feed swine on corn alone.
The hog Is an omnivorous beast. and in
"a state Of nature eats roots, nuts. grass.
fr.,s a,I R.L
sionally. Two pounds OF corn per day is
plenty; for the balance of its supply
of grub" the animal should rely upon
pasture. When pasture is lacking. al
falfa. cowpea. or soy-bean hay should
be chopped up with a hay cutter. mixed
with the corn. and fed as a thick slop.
II neither pasture nor hay is available,
the farmer should use corn. with wheat
shorts. bran. or SKINNED milk.
This is not a matter of interest merely
to the farmer. It has to do Importantly
with the cost of living, about which
everybody is complaining nowadays. At
the present time a. per cent Of all the
meat consumed in this country is beef.
IS per cent is pork. and per cent is
mutton. Thus it appears that beef and
pork are about equal in respect to guam
tity eaten. But from now on, as the
years go by. the supply of beef (ssy the
experts) will steadily diminish and there
will be nothing to take its place except
pork.
Hog Highly Appreciated.
The American hog to-day is a highly
appreciated brute, but the time is COM
ing before very long when 1t will be
called upon to yield the bulk of our
meat supply. Beef will never be cheaper
than it is to-day. On the contrary, II
l.. al Ixyith Auc ~ roal
to rise steadily in price. and a century
hence it is likely TO be so dear that only
the very weIl-to-do can AFFORD to eat it.