IMPORTAJSJCE, DISTRIBUTION, MARKETS, VALUES 5 



a total of 34,766,000 in 1879 to 56,084,000 in 1908, the 

 numbers have increased. During tlie same interval the 

 total farm \alne has grown from $110,508,000 in 1879 

 to $339,030,000 in 1908. Annual changes of num- 

 bers and values are shown on page 4, based upon the 

 table in the Appendix. It will be noted that the changes 

 in numbers and values have followed each other, except 

 in a few instances, the general trend, however, being 

 the same. 



THE GREAT HOG MARKETS AJVU PACKING CENTERS 



The number of hogs slaughtered at the principal 

 packing points in the United States in the year ending 

 j\Iarch I, 1908, was reported as 34.400,000, averaging 

 226.58 pounds per head, and costing the packers $5.52 

 per 100 pounds, or a total of $427,353,000. Of these 

 hogs 27,981,000, costing $350,053,000, w^ere slaughtered 

 at what are called western packing points; i. e., not east 

 of Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Chicago. The average 

 yield of lard for all was 14.35 per cent, or 32.51 pounds. 



The greatest swine market as well as hog slaughtering 

 point in the world is Chicago. There have been marketed 

 there 87,716 hogs in one day (February 10, 1908) ; more 

 than 300,000 in a single week; more than r, 100,000 in a 

 month, and nearly 9.000.000 in a year. Of these, about 

 7,500,000 were slaughtered in Chicago establishments. 

 The total number received there in the 42 years since the 

 Union stock yards were established (to and including the 

 year 1907) is a little less than 247.000,000. In the year 

 last named the receipts were 7,201,061 head, or 101,122 



