Evening star., 1925-06-19
HOGS BEST MONEY
MAKERS ON FARMS
Eggs and Chickens Also
Bring in Good Returns.
Beef Demand Strong.
BY ]. C. ROYLE.

special DlspAtch TO The star.
NEW YORK, June 1s.-Just what
the profits Of the livestock grower will
be this year apparently depends
used. There Ia a general impression
among livestock men and packers
that the returns will be decided i'm
provement on 1924.
Many farmers are convinced that
their profits. II they have any, will be
inflnitesimal. Provision men, on the
other hand, say the farmer will have
one profit. but that according to his
system of accounting he really de-
mands three.
Good Profit in Hogs.
They explain that farmers who feed
cattle and hogs for market owing to
the conditions on the farms. find It
advisable to feed about 40 steers to
the farm and three hogs to each
steer. They say that many farmers
not only insist on a profit on the corn
they feed the animals, but they expect
a profit also on both the steers and
the hogs. These experts declare that
this year. a profit may not be shown
on the steers or on corn at above II 4,
but that the whole operation is show
ing a profit to the farmer, since hogs
are paying him excellently.
The number Of hogs being raised
and marketed is decidedly under that
of a year ago. The amount Of pork
products produced. also. Is less, since
the hogs are not being finished so
thoroughly. owing to the high price
Of corn. Slaughter Is lowering close
around consumption. prices are high
and there is little indication Of drop.
Strong Demand for Beef.
The demand for high-grade beef
cattle is strong and prices are high,
but the poorer grade stuff Is in ample
supply and light demand. The cattle
grower who has had a hard time is
In better case than for many years.
The profits Of this season will not
recoup him for the losses since the
war. but there will be profits none
the less.
Meat stocks have been generally
reduced and the slaughter of hogs
has fallen off to such an extent that
some packers have had to close their
pork departments for brief intervals.
This has raised costs to consumers.
Eggs and Poultry Higher.
Chickens will do their part for the
remainder of the year in making the
farm pay. Prices for eggs and poultry
are 15 to 90 per cent higher than
those OF a year ago and should av-
erage as we'll for the remainder of the
year as in 1923. an excellent season.
The poultry flock Is an almost in
dispensable unit in a program of diver
sified farming, since chickens are fed
the skim milk from dairy cows. which
Is necessary for high egg production,
and waste grain from the cattle and
hogs being fattened. In spite OF this
fact. about l farm in IL throughout
the country raises no poultry.
The number Of chickens increased
rapidly from 1920. until on January J..
1924. they reached the extraordinary
total Of 474 900. 900. Production of
eggs increased 33h per cent in the
same period. while the number of
possible consumers gained only 5 per
cent. The egg production was further
aided by the raising Of per capita pro-
duction of hens from 15.7 dozens an
nually to 1877 dozens.
Fewer Chickens Raised.
This expansion was halted in 1924
by low prices and heavy marketing of
year the chickens On farms were 8
per cent less than In 1924. The num-
Der of eggs produced in the fore part
of this year showed an increase Of
500, 900 cases. but this excess may be
wiped out before the Summer is over
Production probably will not exceed
that Of 1924.
On the large markets the spread In
prices for eggs and poultry due to
differences in quality is probably wider
than for any other farm product. A
substantial premium always can be
counted on for eggs above average In
quality And these premiums fire.
auently run as high as % cents a
dozen in this market. From now on
strictly fresh eggs can be counted on
to advance, with intermediate and low
grade eggs slackening off.
Copyright. 1925.)