SWINE AND THEIR MANAGEMENT. 931 



XIV. 



SWINE AND THEIR MANAQEMENT. 



IN the early history of farming west of the Alleghanies the 

 hog was the most important product of the farm; and, indeed, 

 about the only one the farmer could depend on to furnish 

 "cash in a lump" to meet payments on land and the yearly 

 bills. Not only were we without railroads, but, with the excep- 

 tion of " the National Road," turnpikes were unknown, and 

 wagoning grain to a distant market over mud roads, to be sold 

 at a low price, was a slow way to raise money. I remember a 

 neighbor who lived forty-five miles from Cincinnati spent ten 

 days with a four-horse team in taking thirty-five bushels of 

 wheat to market, and sold it for three "levies" (thirty-seven 

 and a half cents) per bushel. Corn often sold at ten to fifteen 

 cents, and oats at eight to twelve a bushel; and I remember, 

 between 1840 and 1850, that my father bought yearling calves 

 at one dollar per head, and good cows at eight to ten dollars 

 each. 



Pork, at that time, although occasionally very low, brought 

 a better average price than any other farm-product, and during 

 the packing season was always in demand for cash, and so it 

 came to pass that nearly the entire business of the country 

 turned on the price of pork, for all business was done on credit, 

 and if pork brought a good price the country was safe for a 

 year. 



There was no difficulty in raising hogs or in getting them to 

 market in those days, for "hog cholera" had never been heard 

 of, and the swine had strong constitutions, and could make an 

 independent living a good part of the year. They had also ex- 

 cellent locomotive powers, and could with ease transport their 



