222 



REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGEICOLTURE. 



Months. 



Jaiiuary ... 

 FuLini.iry . . 

 March ..... 



April 



May 



June 



Jnly 



Augnat 



September . 



October 



November . 

 December.. 



Total 



Keceipts. Shipments. 



457, 068 

 30J. 341 

 238, 728 

 311, 915 

 328, 838 

 3! 0,072 

 231, llli 

 205, 904 

 261, 123 

 350, 812 

 7S7, 407 

 531, 705 



4, 258, 379 



140,435 

 163, 9k0 



202, 31T 

 245, 945 

 265, 140 

 Viii, 396 

 ia3, 450 

 147, 355 

 168, C2d 

 242, 350 



203, 437 

 119, 923 



2, 327, 361 



Keceiiits. Shipmente. 



508, 347 

 421, 833 

 240, 797 

 259, 569 

 272, 887 

 299, 051 

 290, 137 

 190, 788 

 16.5,919 

 301,255 

 491, 393 

 470. 134 



3, 912, 110 



135, 509 

 127, 532 

 147, 778 

 171, 505 



164, 090 



165, 184 

 157, 781 

 111,378 

 119, 181 

 135, 073 



94, 428 

 53,204 



1, 582, 643 



1376. 



Eeccjpte. 1 Shipments. 



446, 061 

 300,414 

 21 1, 389 

 226, 602 

 307, 250 

 369, 581 

 261,564 

 224, 006 

 278, 999 

 392, 946 

 569, 195 

 541, 9C9 



4, 190, 006 



48,394 

 74, 959 

 105, 756 

 94, 02G 

 127, 690 

 12.5, 188 

 125, 529 

 111,730 

 106, 833 

 100, 800 

 71, 218 

 39, 4C6 



1, 131, 635 



The excess of receipts over shipments was 3,058,371, or 728,904 greater 

 than the excess of 1875. This is accounted for by the great increase in 

 summer packing during the summer of 187G. Feeders and shippers, on 

 the -whole, were satisfied with their share of the trade, as they found all 

 through the year a good demand for their stock. The year opened, how- 

 ever, under no bright promise. Two months of the winter packing sea- 

 son had passed, and the supply of hogs had shown a material falling off, 

 comx'ared with the corresponding months of the previous season. Reports 

 of immense losses from cholera in prominent swine-raising districts were 

 rife in the market, creating the imjiression of a short supply. These re- 

 ports had elevated ))rices during November and December, 1875. Janu- 

 ary opened at high figures, in spite of a combination of buyers to reduce 

 them to a normal level, the range beiug Irom $6.70 to $7.25 per cental. 

 The upward pressure continued through the month, working the quota- 

 tions slowly up to $7.50. The unwillingness of buyers to pay such prices 

 caused a reduced stock, the receipts of January falling 02,286 short 

 of January, 1875. Februarj^, the closiug month of the winter packing 

 season, brought no reaction against the pressure. The receipts fell off 

 61,38D sliort of February, 1875, and prices advanced to $7.00 ® $8.50. 

 By the close of the season it seemed evident that the number packed in 

 the West in 1875-'7G would fall largely short of the previous season. The 

 final footings showed a reduction of 080,011. In March an effort was 

 made by packers to keep up the price of hogs by keeping their estab- 

 lishments ruuniug after the close of the winter season at from half to 

 three-fourths of their capacity. The object of this movement, it was sug- 

 gested, was to prevent a fall of prices in barreled pork until they had 

 marketed tbeir product. The receipts for the month fell 20,108 short of 

 March, 1875, making a decrease for the first quarter of the year of 153,083; 

 prices ranged from $7.00 to $8.40. Packers continued to operate in this 

 way to sustain their high figures for winter-packed pork through the 

 first ten days of April, and until it was found that consumers showed a 

 determination to take less of the high-priced pork, which began to de- 

 cline, causing a decline in the price of hogs, which continued, until at the 

 close of June quotations were $0 to $7.10. The receipts of April com- 

 pared with the ])revious year fell off 32,967; but May and June increased 

 respectively 34,363 and 70,530, making the net increase for the second 

 quarter 71,026, and reducing the net decline for the first two quarters to 

 81,157. During the last half of July receipts fell ofi" considerably, and 

 prices temporarily- rose to $6.50 to $6.70 ; but during August and iSep- 

 tember hogs arrived in increased numbers, and prices of all grades ranged 

 from $6 to 88.75. Keceipts fell off 28,573 in July, but increased 33,218 iu 

 August and 113,080 in September, making the net increase of the third 



