156 Coco-nuts The Consols of the East 



Chihuahua is the only one of the northern tier 

 of States where anything like winter weather is 

 experienced, but even there the winter losses 

 are said by cattle breeders to average con- 

 siderably less than i per cent. In this State 

 cattle are raised and shipped to the United 

 States as yearlings or two-year-olds, to be 

 fattened until brought to a marketable condition. 

 This plan has now been going on for some years, 

 and is increasing in importance year by year. 



Another profitable industry to engage in, in 

 connection with ordinary farming, or as a 

 separate business, is hog raising, for the world- 

 supply is so far behind the demand that the 

 price of bacon is said to have increased 128 

 per cent, during the last three decades. 



In the last three or four years good progress 

 has been made, not only in breeding, but in the 

 maturing of increased numbers of hogs in many 

 sections of the Republic. About 75 per cent, of 

 all the hogs slaughtered are turned into lard, 

 and a large proportion of the remainder is con- 

 sumed as fresh pork. Competent authorities 

 state that the hog business in Mexico has shown 

 more improvement during the period mentioned 

 than any other single class of live-stock. A 

 considerable percentage of the hogs now grown 

 and marketed here will compare favourably 

 with the average hogs grown and marketed in 

 the United States. The climatic conditions, 

 together with the fact that hogs in Mexico are 

 fed longer and are marketed at a greater age 



