1846.] Hogs in the United States and Europe. 119 



3. It is important to discover how large a proportion of swine 

 are annually killed. There are two sorts of consumption for 

 swine. One may be called the commercial, and the other the 

 domestic consumption. One is for family use, and the other for 

 commerce. Almost every farmer's family kills one or more hogs. 

 This is a constant drain on the increase. But on the other hand 

 the increase of swine is so great, that it will exceed in one year 

 the original stock unless checked. The main inquiry is, how 

 large a proportion of hogs are fatted in order to supply the provi- 

 sions of commerce? In the year 1845 there will have been kill- 

 ed at the various pork packing establishments of Ohio, about 500- 

 000 hogs. About 150,000 of these may be set down as from other 

 states. It is fair, therefore, to assume that commerce consumes, 

 about 350,000 hogs in Ohio, per annum. The present stock 

 cannot be much if any under 2,500,000. It follows, therefore, 

 that commerce consumes near about one-sixth part of the stock on 

 hand. We belive that in the United States, generally, this is 

 much too high an estimate; yet the figures in the western states 

 will show this result veiy nearly. 



4. But suppose the total is really as great as the facts imply, 

 then it follows — a fact of great moment to the packer — that no 

 safe conclusion whatever can he drawn from the number of hogs 

 killed in one year of the real number of the stock that loill be 

 brought to market next year. This is obvious, if the reader will 

 reflect, that a given stock of hogs will nearly double themselves 

 in one year, and that yet the number of hogs of commerce is only 

 one-sixth part of the original number I This is the great source 

 of the constant errors made in calculating the number of hogs to 

 be brought to market, and the effects on the market. The truth 

 is, the domestic or family consumption is the great fact, and that 

 we cannot arrive at exactly. 



We shall proceed to show the number of hogs raised proportion- 

 ably in Europe and America. We have before us McGregor's 

 Statistics, which contain a table of the agriculture and live stock of 

 Europe for 1828. Since then the population of Europe has in- 

 creased more than 10 per cent, and if we add 10 per cent to the live 

 stock, we shall have the full amount; for this species of stock 

 does not increase in densely populated countries equally with that 

 of other productions. 



Swine of Europe. 



Russia, 16,380 000 



Austria, 6,050,000 



Great Britain, 5,775,000 



France, 4,950,000 



Italian States, 2,860,000 



Bavaria, 1,650,000 



