THE PIG. 459 



By a comparison, we find the exported products of the 

 pig at the former period to have been about double the 

 value of those of cattle, and at the latter period more than 

 50 per cent, greater. The item of bacon has greatly 

 increased within the last few years. In 1872 it was only 

 $21,000,000, and previous to that only averaged about 

 $6,000,000 per year, while in 1881 it reached over 

 $61,000,000. This great increase has resulted from our 

 study of the tastes of the English people. They require 

 hams put up in a particular way, and we are only catering 

 to that taste, and the increase is $30,000,000 in a few years. 

 This export of meat instead of corn, concentrating that 

 bulky cereal into the condensed product of pork, when it 

 may be exported for one-eighth of the cost of exporting the 

 raw food to make it, and the difference coming to gladden 

 the heart of the meat producer. 



We thus find that the pig grows in the estimation of the 

 American farmer every year as, perhaps, the most economi- 

 cal machine for the manufacture of our coarse grain crops 

 into meat. This animal is, therefore, worthy of the most 

 careful study, as it is soon destined to represent one hun- 

 dred and fifty millions in our cash exports. 



The pig yields us more dollars in exports than any other 

 single agricultural product except wheat and cotton. It ia 

 therefore entitled to be treated with great consideration. An- 

 other excellent point in its favor is, that no other animal 

 utilizes a greater percentage of its food. It costs less food to 

 grow a pound of pork than a pound of beef. Sir J. B. Lawes, 

 of Rothamstead, in his experiments, a few years ago, found 

 that the pig utilized 20 per cent, of its food, while cattle 

 utilized but 8 per cent, of the dry substance of their food. 

 It thus appears that the stock farmer has every reason 

 to study the nature and management of the pig as one of 

 his most fruitful sources of revenue. 



If we examine the digestive apparatus of the pig, it will 



