234 



REPORT OP THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



showing that this branch of production and trade has not been over- 

 done, nor has the supply outstripped a permanent and healthy demand. 

 , Eecajnt Illation. — The following table shows the number of hogs packed, 

 their aggregate net weight, yield of lard, and cost, during the last twelve 

 winter packing seasons : 



Seasons. 



Nnmber 

 packed. 



785, 

 ,490, 



781, 

 ,490, 

 , (i35, 

 ,695, 

 .831, 

 ,410, 

 , 466, 



566, 

 ,880, 

 ,072, 



Pounds. 

 231.3 

 232. 14 

 201 



206. 75 

 205. 75 

 230.14 

 227. 62 

 232.43 

 214.97 

 209. 77 

 217. 71 

 215. 98 



Aggregate 

 ■weight. 



Poimds. 



413,091,391 



588, 212, 202 



.558, 997, 8:54 



510,848,742 



542, 215, 444 



850, 425, 0G5 



1, 099, 783, ;«5 



1, 2.")7, 519, 283 



1, 17,5, 126, 971 



1, 167, 639, 457 



1, 062, 456, 021 



1, 095, 547, 777 



IS tj 



.2 P. 



S"' 5 

 <1 



Pounds. 

 41.52 

 39. 60 

 29 



32. 33 

 31.84 

 40.19 

 38.54 

 40.08 

 35. 02 

 34.2 

 35.45 

 34.03 



Aggregate 

 yield of 

 lard. 



Pounds. 



74, 152, 851 



98,801,376 



SO, 651, 436 



80, 829, 227 



83, 908, 334 



148, 512, 137 



188,603,317 



216, 845, 385 



191, 444, 035 



190, 380, 607 



173, 016, 580 



172, 623, 696 



$4 65.8 

 5 43. 15 



8 33. 63 



9 82 

 7 18 



Aggregate 

 cost of 

 hoi's. 



53, 575, 148 

 63, 827, 021 

 97, 337, 928 

 93, 703, C21 

 7b, 658, 607 



The operations of the last year, compared with its predecessor, show 

 an increase in the number of hogs packed of 192,204 head, or 4 per cent. 

 The reduction in the weight per head of hogs packed has partly neutral- 

 ized the increased number, the aggregate weight being only 33,067,756 

 pounds, or a little over 3 i)er cent, greater than last year. The hogs 

 packed in 1870-'77 were equivalent to only 5,031,890 hogs of the weight 

 of the previous year. The aggregate yield of lard is reduced 402,884 

 pounds, the average yield per head having fallen from 35.45 pounds to 

 34.03, a decline of 4 per cent, in one year. The average cost of hogs to the 

 packer fell from $8.82 to $7.18 per cental, a reduction of 18.6 per cent, 

 involving a reduction in the aggregate amount paid for hogs of 

 $15,050,014, or 16 per cent., notwithstanding the increase of the num- 

 ber. 



Packiyig in the prlncijpal cities. — ISTearly two-thirds of the hogs are 

 packed at six leading cities, viz : Chicago, Cincinnati, Saint Louis, In- 

 dianapolis, Milwaukee, and Louisville, The numbers packed at these 

 points during the last five winter seasons were as follows : 



The per cent, of the packing at these points declined somewhat during 

 the last season, their number having increased but 77,443 head, or 2 

 per cent., while the number packed at other i)oints increased 114,761 

 head, or about 7 per cent. This relative increase of the other points is 

 in part attributable to tiie increased number of those points from which 

 statistics are gathered. 



