26 BULLETIN 1300, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
of corn. The two sets of figures are in close agreement, taking into 
account the inverse relation between crop and price. The reader will 
have little difficulty in forming logical explanations of the larger and 
more significant deviation in the hog variables relative to the given 
deviations in corn crop and price. In the summer of a big crop there 
appears to be a withdrawal from slaughter, which may be for either 
breeding or later feeding, or because of both causes. In spite of this 
withdrawal the price of hogs begins to drop, presumably either in 
sympathy with the drop in corn prices or in expectation of an excess 
of hogs. Live weights begin to increase. This may be due to either 
of two causes, an increase in breeding, which withdraws young sows 
from market, or heavier feeding. Pork production drops in correla- 
tion with its major factor, the amount of slaughter. 
In the winter following a big crop slaughter and pork production 
are about average; the price of hogs continues to drop and live weight 
continues to increase, the latter reaching its maximum. 
In the second summer slaughter and pork production reach a maxi- 
mum. This condition can be due only to a rather small extent to 
breeding stimulated by the abundance and cheapness of corn. The 
hogs bred in the previous fall and farrowed in the spring would not 
come, in the main, on the market until the second winter (season 
beginning November 1) . Early marketing of hogs that would not be 
marketed until winter, except for the abundance of corn, is doubtless 
a factor; but the main element in this heavy slaughter must be looked 
for in the hogs previously withheld. A tendency to concentrate as 
much of the slaughter as possible in the summer, if the supply of corn 
warrants, would be brought about by the higher hog prices which 
prevail in this season as shown in Table 2. It is not surprising to find 
that the price of hogs reaches its minimum in this second summer 
(relative to the seasonal average) . Live weight begins to fall off. 
In the second winter slaughter and pork production have fallen off, 
though still well above the average. Hog prices begin to rise and live 
weight becomes about normal. 
In the third summer heavy slaughter and pork production con- 
tinue, though prices become about normal. Live weight tends to 
reverse its previous rise, falling below normal. The continued heavy 
slaughter in the second winter and third summer must be due to 
breeding stimulated by the corn crop. In the third winter a distinct 
second peak is reached by slaughter and pork production. This 
must be due to the cumulative effect of heavy breeding. Hog price 
shows a slight tendency to a second drop, reflecting presumably this 
secondary rise in slaughter. Live weight continues slightly sub- 
normal. 
The fourth summer still shows some effect on slaughter and pork 
production. Hog prices rise to normal or even above normal, how- 
ever, and live weight falls well below normal. It is probable that the 
favorable conditions due to the big crop have stimulated an over- 
production of hogs and that a reaction has begun. This reaction 
manifests itself to a greater extent in the fourth winter in which 
slaughter and pork production have returned to normal; but price 
has risen distinctly above normal, presumably in expectation of a 
shortage. Live weight continues below normal. 
All the above-mentioned effects are reversed following a crop 
below instead of above the average. 
