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Show THE HOG SITUATION : 0 A conservative policy wilh respect to Increasing, the number of swine until tfie rela'Jlve shortage and high price of feed nre overcome J is the recommendation of the United Slates department of agriculture, recently made in a statement mi American agricultural production in . , I9I9. In summarizing the hog situation the department reports that 1 the number of swine fell from 05, 020,000, Ihe high point in 1911, to 58,- a J 933,000, the low point In 19M'; and under the stimulus of war demand J and a record corn crop In 1017 the number increased to 70,978,000 on JJ January 1, 101 .8. Reports indicate that the number on fartis on Jauu- J :ry 1, 1919, was 75,587,000, or an increase of 0.5 per cent. ' The number of swine per capita of population in 1911 wao 0.079 of s one animal. On the same basis there should be 72,474,000 on arms in I 1919. - Exports of pork products fell from 1,078,000,000 pounds In the J fiscal year IS!;!) to 707,000,000 in 1910, and rose 1,092,000,000 in 1913. Although definite data are lacking, reports indicate a considerable re- J duction in Ihe number of swine in Europe. A representative of the , food administration reports n reduction of 25 per cent in the United , Kingdom, 12',fc per cent In Italy and 49 per cent In France. However, in estimating probable demand In Europe for American -pork products 0 certain faclors must bo borne In mind; namely, (1) large slocks; now J on hand in Ihe United Slales. and (2) the rapidity with which the num- J ber of swine can be increased in Europe. Another factor of Importance Is the relatively large proportion of lard In the exports of lids country J , amounting to about 50 per cent, of all pork products exported in the ' live-year period from 1910 to 1914, and about 200 per cent more than J the tolal quantity of beef exported. Exporls of lard nmoiinled to -1S1,- 000.000 pounds In 1914, 470.0011,001) pounds In 19.15, 427,000.000 pounds JJ in 1910, -1 15,000,000 pounds In 1917, and 392,000,000 in 1918. All reports J emphasize the shortage of fids and oils In Europe at tlie present time. I(o shipments lo Germany and Austria have been Included In the ex- I ports of lard from Hie United Slides since 1914. However, prior lo Ihe war, Germany was our second largest customer, taking 1 Ili.OOO.OOO J i pounds In 1911, or nbeul, 30 pel cent of our total lard exports. The 1 foreign demand for lard Is likely to he heavy during the preseot year. J 1 |