The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1913-12-30
GETTING THE PROFITS

The hog market mas pursued the
usual course for this season OF the
year. The killers have used every
opportunity to force prices lower for
the winter basis, and have been fairly
successful. The liberal receipts OF
light hogs at eastern points have cur
tailed order buying, thus removing
this competition. The country has
baked at the slumps but has sent In
liberal supplies at every good advance.
The e have been great many 100 to
175 pound hogs lately, with but few
hesYy hogs and few pigs. This has
held the average weight down and al
50 made light production Of lard.
The fact that the bulk of these
light hogs are thrifty and healthy
shows that the country is not of the
opinion that pork making is profitable
at the present relative prices Of corn
and hogs. The stmount of profit va
ries with conditions from none at
all to a moderate one. A 100 pound
shote in the country Is worth IS. so
or So. II ten bushels of corn are put
into him he will weigh two hundred
pounds at the end of three months.
This ten bushels of corn Is worth
from So to 81. so, according to local
ity. The hog at the end Of this
period is worth $14, figured at cor
responding quotations. This gives the
feeder fifty cents to 1.5O per head
profit for his labor and risk. This
means just about break even propo-
sit'on IL the feeder buys his corn,
but 1t gives him al fair profit If he
grows his corn, for he gets about
eighty cents bushel for It.
What a Rise Of 81 Means
However, there is another side to
It. At the end OF these three months
everyone expects higher prices SO that
there will be an additional profit. Ev.
cry cent Of rise in price Is not gross
but net profit; and rise Of 81 is gen.
orally expected. which means 50 per
head added profit.
II a man will look around him he
will also. notice another phase Of the
feeding proposition. The farmer who
always feeds out his crop of pigs and
empties his corn cribs by this route
somehow before long has lots OF
stock around. and has his farm paid
for. and raises larger crops as the |
years go by. He Is always in posi-. |
ton TO pick the best Of bis females
Tor his breeding herd. and thus the
luaaity Of the stock IL maintained or
improved. His neighbor who figures
hero II no money in the feeding game
sells his hogs when It takes ten or
fifteen to make . wasonload and
spends much Of the winter hauling
his corn to the elevator. While this
nan may make . comfortable living.
he seldom gets ahead. Some Of the
for this d,nesence can be seen
II q glance. while others cannot. II
IL results in the long run that count
anyway. and not mans reasoning
about It.
OF course there are always local
conditions to alter individual cases.
such as disease. the scarcity Of feed,
ind proper sheltering from the wealth
Dr.: but It Is seldom that It is good
policy to sell immature stock at more
Or less Of sacrifice and then have
grain to spare. OF course where
grain must be bought. this means q
lash investment and additional work.
md this takes a nice little slice out
Of the profits. For example: With
he present hog market 1t is about
IN even game where one must buy
his corn. II the values remain the
'ame he gets wages for his work-no
profit; IL the market declines he loses
md II 1t advances he makes a profit.
However, when he feeds he has a
chance during tie winter to pick the
best from his gifts and the best from
his sows for next years breeding
herd, and thus has better herd than
he year before. and is therefore bet
.er off.
1t is the meat producer and not the
grain producer that gains substantial
wealth and has the larger credit at
he bank Farm and Fireside.