216 Pork Production 



The variation in the price of corn during the different 

 months of the year is shown in Fig. 11. This curve 

 is based on the actual price of standard No. 2 corn on the 

 Chicago market for the ten-year period from 1903 to 1914, 

 inclusive. According to this curve, the average forage- 

 feeding period of June 15 to October 15 comes when the 

 price of corn is high. The average price for these months 

 was 61.6 cents a bushel, while for the immediate succeeding 

 four months it was 55 j} cents, a difference of 6.1 cents 

 a bushel. Actually there is a greater spread than this 

 on the farm, because the feeding of new corn commences 

 very much earlier than the marketing of new corn, or 

 before its presence on the market can be felt. The farm 

 price of new corn for November and December is probably 

 lower, therefore, than is indicated by the above curve. 

 The actual feed cost of production stated in dollars and 

 cents would be less, therefore, for the pigs fed three- 

 fourths ration while on forage than for those given the 

 full rations. 



Time of marketing as affected by system of feeding. 



There still remains an additional point which must 

 be noted. Pigs which are full fed on forage reach market- 

 able weight earlier than do limited-fed pigs, and the early 

 market is usually the better one. For the twelve years 

 from 1905 to 1916, the average price of hogs on the Chicago 

 market in September and October was approximately 

 57 cents a hundred higher than in December and January. 

 From year to year, the pigs fed the more liberal rations 

 on forage have the advantage of selling at a time when 

 the supply is relatively low and the price high (see Chapter 

 XVI). This advantage, however, will hold only so long 

 as the great bulk of the spring pig crop is marketed in 



