EEPORT OF THE STATISTICIAN. 



233 



seiisons is 218.79 pounds, leavinfj the average of the last winter season 

 2.81 |)OuiHis sbort. A marked increase in weiglit is shown in Kansas, 

 Wisconsin, and Kentucky, and a smaller increase in Ohio, Minnesota, 

 Nebraska, and Michigan ; the other States show a decrease, especially 

 Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Tennessee. The average weight of Ohio 

 was reduced by the policy of the Cleveland packers choosing only light 

 hogs, and attracting them by special inducements irom Chicago and 

 Michigan ; the same policy at Indianapolis enhanced the shortage of In- 

 diana. 



Average yield of lard. — The average yield of lard per head for the last 

 five winter packing seasons were as follows : 



The smaller averages of the last few years are due in part to the fact 

 that the hogs packed are smaller than formerly. At many points only 

 lighter animals are in request. The only States, that increased their 

 average yields during the last season were Ohio and Kentucky ; of the 

 other States, the most marked reduction is in Indiana and Missouri, 

 where the average has fallen off nearly 3 pounds per head. 



Average coH. — The average cost per cental of hogs jiacked in the dif- 

 ferent States was as follows : 



The average prices paid by packers were lower in 187G-'77 than in the 

 two seasons immediately previous, but are stiil greatly in advance of the 

 seasons of 1872-'74:. There is a falling off in price in all the States 

 but not greater than is observable in all other branches of production, 

 agricultural or manufacturing, the reduction being only 5 per cent, on 

 the whole. Considering the general reduction of prices, it appears that 

 the price of hogs holds its own in relation to other kinds of merchandise, 



