MARKETING 229 



tinctive, because they are subject to considerable flexi- 

 bility to meet existing conditions. 



Market type. — The term market type is distinctive from 

 marlvet classes or grades. Market type is a term em- 

 ployed by the breeder of pure-bred swine and by the 

 pork producer to designate that class of hogs which the 

 market desires. What the breeder and grower want to 

 know is which type is most sought after that will at the 

 same time yield the greatest profits, in order that they 

 can make their business more profitable by directing their 

 energies and efforts toward producing tViat particular 

 type. The breeders will then select animals which seem 

 to them to approach most nearly the most desirable mar- 

 ket type. The grower will in turn be willing to pay the 

 breeder better prices for breeding animals possessing this 

 desirable market type to a marked degree. The market 

 types are, therefore, much fewer than market classes, 

 and the only type which the breeder and grower desire 

 to eventually produce is the ideal market type. 



Packing houses. — Of course wherever there are large 

 stockyards there are also apt to be packing houses. It 

 is to these that by far most of the hogs consigned to the 

 stockyards find their way. These packing companies 

 have buyers out with orders to buy so many hogs of one 

 kind, so many suited for another purpose, and so on. 

 The prices are generally rather steady, and these ex- 

 perienced buyers for the packing houses are generally 

 careful not to pay more than the market price. On the 

 whole, a healthy competition exists between the different 

 packing firms, and the shipper gets from them the ap- 

 proximate market value of his shipment. The packing 



