CHAPTER XXV 

 HOG MARKETS AND PORK PACKING— PAST AND PRESENT 



Hogs are marketed by the same methods and are shipped to the 

 central markets and sold in the same manner as cattle, as described in 

 Chapter V. In addition it may be mentioned that local auction sales 

 in some of the western states serve as a means of marketing a consider- 

 able number of hogs. ^ Throughout the country there is more selling 

 of hogs at country points direct to packers than of cattle or sheep. 

 James E. Poole, market editor of the Breeder's Gazette, states ^ that 

 country buying by packers is increasing rapidly and that during 1922 

 one of the large packers was credited with having purchased about two 

 million hogs in Iowa alone. He states that practically every packer 

 of importance is now buying hogs at country points, and that the chief 

 reason advanced in support of the practice is that it is economical 

 because it eliminates market expense. He also quotes an official of a 

 large packing company as stating that competition compelled that 

 company to go to the country in order to get its share of the crop. 

 The proportion of hogs slaughtered on farms far exceeds that of cattle 

 or sheep. 



The large markets. — Most of the large hog markets of the United 

 States are located in the corn belt. The 13 largest markets and their 

 receipts in three years, as reported by the U. S. Bureau of Agricultural 

 Economics, are as follows: 



Receipts of hogs at leading markets in three years 



Market 1922 1921 1920 



1. Chicago 8,156,472 8,147,646 7,526,120 



2. St. Louis 3,605,520 3,330,051 3,398,940 



3. Indianapolis 2,266,551 2,694,705 2,896,894 



4. Omaha 2,839,382 2,665,276 2,708,482 



5. Pittsburgh 2,690,137 2,277,499 2,439,067 



6. Kansas City 2,654,959 2,204,556 2,466,419 



7. St. Paul 2,522,972 2,209,518 2,246,948 



8. St. Joseph 2,060,680 1,785,239 1,913,755 



9. Sioux City 1,855,829 1,738,584 2,172,637 



10. Buffalo 1,474,520 1,602,875 1,493,981 



11. Cincinnati 1,347,129 1,434,842 1,477,979 



12. Baltimore 1,342,595 1,238,454 1,153,578 



13. Cleveland 1,092,287 960,044 1,011,657 



Totals 33,909,033 32,289,289 32,906,457 



^The California Farm Bureau Marketing Association sold 2,175 carloads of 

 hogs at auction during the four years ending October 1, 1922. These were sold at 

 69 sales in 7 counties. — U. S. Dept. Agr., Agricultural Cooperation, Jan. 2, 1923. 



2Breeder's Gazette, Jan. 25, 1923. 



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