CHAPTER XXi 

 SWINE 



HOGS outrank every other farm animal in number in the 

 United States, and are exceeded in value only by 

 horses and cattle. There are more than sixty million hogs 

 on our farms, or nearly two porkers for every three of the 

 population. The aggregate market value of swine is about 

 two-thirds that of dairy cattle, and not far from equal to 

 the value of beef cattle. American farmers own more than 

 six hundred million dollars' worth of hogs. 



1. The Pork Producing Region 



A large proportion of our hogs is produced in the 

 states forming the corn belt. This is natural, since corn 

 is one of the cheapest and best grains for raising pork. 

 Many other regions can grow hogs as successfully as the 

 corn states, however, and the industry is spreading. 



Hogs in the South. Southern farmers have not yet 

 entered very largely upon the raising of hogs, though they 

 can probably be produced fully as cheaply in the South as 

 the North. The southern people consume more meat per 

 capita than the people of any other section. Millions of 

 pounds of fresh meats are annually shipped to southern 

 markets from northern and western farms. This means a 

 double loss to the South, hence the importance of a more 

 general study of the swine industry. For money is paid 

 out for what could well be raised at home, and a most prof- 

 itable industry is thus omitted from the farms. 



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