382 



Pork Production 



ing out of this custom, the Bureau of Markets of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture, on the au- 

 thority granted by Congress, inaugurated for the war 

 period the zone system of loading for stock consigned to 

 the Chicago market. This regulation went into effect 

 December 10, 1917. The effect of this control on the 

 distribution of receipts of hogs and cattle throughout the 

 week is indicated by the figures in Table CLXXVI. 



Table CLXXVI. — Average Percentage Distribution op 

 Weekly Receipts, March 11 to June 15, 1918 



That the better distribution of receipts did not in the 

 earlier stages of this regulation bring about a more stable 

 market was no doubt due to the very abnormal conditions 

 created by the war, and more particularly to the irregu- 

 larity with which the buying orders for the Government 

 and Allies were put into the hands of the packers. 



Variations in the yearly supply. 



Reference to Fig. 17 will show the variations in the re- 

 ceipts of hogs on the Chicago market which are common 

 from year to year. It is to be noted that years of heavy 

 supply tend both to be preceded and followed by years of 

 light supply. It would appear that periods of heavy and 

 light production are separated by intervals of two to three 



