Beginner's Problems 373 



ber, December, and January as this is the packing season, 

 but even then the demand during these months is usually 

 somewhat over-supplied, at least in the West. The 

 western farmers market about one-half of their year's 

 production of hogs during these three months,, while 

 the eastern farmers do not market over one-:third of their 

 hogs at this time. This makes it imperative that if 

 one is to realize highest price, the periods of heavy supply 

 must be avoided. 



When the by-products available for feeding come at 

 a particular time of the year, and then are gone, the 

 pigs must be at a suitable size to consume these by- 

 products to the best advantage when they are available ; 

 but when the by-products are rather evenly distributed, 

 it is necessary that some pigs of suitable size be avail- 

 able through the year. In the great grain-growing 

 sections of the West the chief by-product is the shattered 

 grain on the stubble fields ; and since this must be used 

 quickly after harvest, and since the pigs which make the 

 most profitable use of this by-product are individuals 

 weighing from 75 to 125 pounds, it follows that within 

 a few weeks after this period a large number of pigs 

 will be sent to market from these localities. Fat pigs 

 are a perishable product ; that is, they must be marketed 

 very soon after they are finished, regardless of price 

 or other conditions. Hence it is necessary to plan for 

 their disposal a long time before the pigs are ready for 

 marketing, in fact before the sows are bred. 



FLUCTUATIONS 



Pigs are subject to wider and more rapid fluctuation 

 in prices than any other class of live-stock. This is be- 

 cause they increase so rapidly that a shortage may 



