A MANUAL ON THE HOG. 45 



and variety of cheap crops, which are gathered by the hogs 

 themselves, give us a decided advantage. Again, the 

 difference in the price of pork in Illinois and Georgia gives 

 the Georgia farmer an additional advantage, whether he 

 sells the pork, or consumes it on his farm ; for, in the latter 

 case, it saves in his pocket the amount which would be re- 

 quired to purchase what he consumes. 



A certain number of hogs can be raised on every South- 

 ern farm, not only without cost, but with decided advan- 

 tage to the farm. They consume the waste products, 

 which would otherwise be entirely lost, such as the pro- 

 ducts of the forests and old fields, the gleanings of small 

 grain fields, pea fields, potato patches, orchards, etc., which 

 no other animal will consume, besides destroying vast 

 numbers of insects injurious to vegetation, and especially 

 to fruit. Pigs in the peach orchard are almost necessary 

 to success, since, with the fallen fruit, they destroy the 

 larvae which it contains, and thus protect future crops. 



Notwithstanding the very favorable surroundings, making 

 our State apparently the home of the hog, such has been 

 the intatuation for cotton culture, caused by a combination 

 of circumstances, that our farmers have neglected to avail 

 themselves of their natural advantages, and purchased 

 many articles of prime necessity, including many millions 

 pounds of bacon, lard and pork, besides thousands of live 

 hogs. Between September 1st, 1875, and September 1st, 

 1876, there were 53,621,016 pounds of bacon, pork and 

 lard imported into Georgia, over one railroad. There was 

 probably .half of that amount imported through other 

 channels, or 80,431,524 pounds for the whole State, not- 

 withstanding the fact that there has been a considerable 

 increase, in the number of hogs raised in the State within 

 the last few years. 



This amount is, therefore, less than the average annual 

 importation for the last ten years. Assuming this, how- 

 ever, as the average for that period, and 12J cents as the 



