CHAPTER XXVII 

 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 be produced as cheaply in the South as in 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 north- 

 ern and western farms. This means a double loss to the 

 South. For money is paid out for what could well be raised 

 at home, and a most profitable industry is thus neglected on 

 the southern farms. 



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