The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1921-10-21
HOW FARMERS MAY KEEP OUT OF
ACQUITTED DRESSED PORK MARKET
Pasquotank, Camden and Currituck Farmers
Neglect Their Smoke Houses While Eliza
beth City Eats Chicago Ham

Swine growers in Pasquotank
and other Northeastern North
Carolina counties largely depen-
dent upon the Norfolk dressed
hog market should begin to take
note Of predictions freely made
on the Norfolk market that pork
will bring a low price this fall
The very fact that dressed pork
is bringing only IS cents a
pound on the Norfolk market
this early in the season indi-
Gates the much lower price ship
pers may expect later in the
season when the big shipments
of pork from this section are TIN
der way. At this time last year
medium sized dressed porkers
brought 20 to rs cents on the
Norfolk market. The price
dropped in December to IS cents
and in January the market was
glutted with ten and II cent
pork. With IS cent pork as a
starter this season, it is not un-
reasonable to fear g to 10 cents
market in December.
The [. S. Census takers found It.
279 head of swine in Pasquotank Coun-
ty in 1920 and with hog cholera we'll
under control in this county this years
product may be more nearly 10000
head. 1t would be a calamity for the
growers in this and neighboring coun-
ties to throw all of their pork on one
market in a few weeks and realize eight
to ten cents a pound for it.
Having given some thought to the
matter, this newspaper believes that the
farmers of Fasquotank, Camden and
Currituck counties rely too much on the
sale of their dressed pork and pay too
little attention to the more profitable
method of curing and storing hams and
bacon. The farmers of Perquimans,
Chowan and Gates counties have long
made the most of their opportunities
n this direction and put most of their
rork into hams, bacon, lard and saus-
age. But the farmers of PaSquotank,
Camden and Currituck do not so well
manage.
Pasquotank, Camden and Currituck
swine growers with a big all year round
market for their hams and bacon right
here at home, sacrifice their fresh pork
to Norfolk packing houses early in the
season and Elizabeth City is left to
eat swill fed Chicago and Kansas City
packing house hams and bacons nine
months in the year. Thousands of
pounds of Western hams, bacon and
mess pork are retailed in this city an
nually at prices far exceeding anything
local growers got for their superior
corn fed pork. We send our best pork
to Norfolk commission dealers who get
the best price they can for it from
Norfolk. Richmond and Baltimore pack
ing houses Our hams that sell for 10
or 20 cents are cured and labeled
''Smithfield'' hams by Virginia packers
and sold back to those of us who can
afford the price at 60 cents a pound.
Pasquotank, Camden and Currituck
swine growers must learn the aft OF
cutting, curing and smoking their hams
and bacon. Long, lean looking, nice
" colored hams and bacon are in de-
mand the year round and bring good
prices. For three or four months dur
ing the summer and early fall it is
impossible to buy such country cured
nam here in Elizabeth City.
1t would pay the farmers in every
ncighbOrhood in these counties to study
the methods of Virginia farmers IN
trimming and curing hams and bacon
and put more of their pork into these
staple commodities that are always IN
demand at attractive prices. The farm
cr who will ship all of his pork to mar
ket this fall is foolish farmer indeed.
What is really needed for the great
est possible prosperity of this city and
section is a packing house, providing
here at Elizabeth City a year round
market for all the swine, cattle and
-heep produced in Northeastern North
Carolina. 1t take lot of money and
some time to establish a modern pack
ing plant. But any farmer can be his
own packer and not sacrifice his pork
% glutted markets in December and
January.