Year: 1871

A Revolution in Packing and Cur.


ing-The Hog Crop OF 1912.


The Cincinnati Price Current, under
the heading of Provision Trade Revo.
luton" gives some interesting informa-
ton concerning the growth ofa new in
dustry-the ice-curing Of pork in sum-
mer-which it says is making great
breaches" in the old packing trade.
According to this trade journal, it may
almost be said that it is not longer ne
cessary to salt and lay aside meat in
winter at all, any more than any other
season; there being, however, a few
weeks in the heated term of summer
when it is not necessary nor desirable
to handle or use much meat. Swine
are iattened more conveniently and
more economically in fall weather, and
then transportation can be done twenty
per cent cheaper. Fresh ice-cured meat
is brighter, sweeter, and sells higher for
several of the leading qualities than the
dry, highly salted winter cured. Ice
houses have been constructed at many
western points where packing continues
constantly and safely all summer. The
extra cost of cold air from ice ia being
rapidly reduced, and is already count
ing less than the expense OF holding
meat over from winter to summer. This
state OF affairs has completely upset the
old business by which the wealth OF the
pork-packing business has been &C
quired. And the article concludes with
the remark that "the last winter pack
ing stock has lately been selling at
loss of some forty per cent.


Whether the indifferent success
which, according to this authority, has
lately attended what was once the
greatest single interest in Cincinnati Is
wholly due to ice packing may be ques-
toned. The Cincinnati Enquirer con.
tains a copy OF an agreement entered
into by the packers there, dated No
vember lst, in which they formally
covenant with each other that they
will, in the purchase of gross hogs,
during the packing season OF 1871, only
weigh as merchantable hogs such as
will walk without assistance to the
scale" 1t is comforting to the general
consumer to know that her packers
have Struck hands over bargain not
to salt away any mOrs broken down or
diseased" pigs.


From the Louisville Courier-Journal.l


Statistics show that there are over
thirty millions of hogs in the United
States. The market draws from this
stock annually, according to the demand
at home and abroad and the prospects
of the trade. 1t is supplied in proper:
ton to the yield of mast and maize. and
according to the contingencies OF the
market itself. Usually, we believe,
about four or five millions Of these hogs
are slaughtered annually; but of course
the contingencies mentioned, more or
less affect the drift upon the main
stock.


The crop of hogs of 1870 and 1871
was much the largest crop we have ever
had in the West, say nearly million
more than ever before, and during last
summer Chicago received from two to
ten thousand every day during the warm
weather, and all the other cities in the
same proportion. Notwithstanding the
extra large crop and summer curing,
the stock has been consumed. In 1869
20 the prices were very high, say from
eight to ten dollars. The high prices
ofthat year, together with the extremely
fine crop of corn, produced this large
supply, all other products being com
paratively much lower, and at those
prices it was the best thing that a farm
er could turn his attention to- A large
corn crop always adds to the crop OF
hogs, as farmers can, in August, Sep
tember, October and November, put on
about two hundred pounds TO each hog,
when they are Of good quality; SO that
pigs and shoats can be made into large
hogs very soon when we have plenty OF
corn.


This wear there was no inducement
like that that existed last year. Last
seasons prices being so low, and it
being the general expectation to get low
prices this season, the same attention
was not paid to hogs and the farmers
turned their attention to other products,
such as hemp, tobacco, etc. Besides,
there has been a short crop OF corn
made in the West this year, owing to
the great drouth. As evidence of this,
YOU have no June rise in the Ohio
river, and you have had no coal boat
rise since last spring, and it has been so
dry in the Northwest that the country
has been on fire, and great losses have
occurred, all owing to the excessive dry
weather. The corn crop is said to be
fine in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, etc,
but short in the south and in Kentucky,
Ohio, etc. Owing to the extremely
short crop of corn, farmers cannot feed,
and are pushing their hogs on the mar
ket. Where they have corn to feed
with, water is so scarce that they could
not feed their hogs and have driven
them to market, that being the best
they can do. This will account for so
early receiving so large a number, and
by being sent in so soon they will be
much lighter than usual.


So conclude that we are not to have
so many hogs this year as last, the rea-
sons to me being conclusive on that
point