| OCR Text |
Show THE GREAT AMERICAN HOG. The great American hog in the fiscal year ending end-ing in June, 1909, furnished an export product valued val-ued at more than $106,000,000. Besides this export business, there was undoubtedly a great deal more ham and bacon and pork and lard consumed in the United States than was shipped out, but we have no figures just now to show what that total was. But the export figures alone are sufficient to show that the humble and much despised hog is one of our greatest sources of wealth, an asset, indeed, which compares favorably with almost any other of our f arm products.' In the year there were nearly 55,-000,000 55,-000,000 hogs in the United States, and with the in- iauui' -j-u i rfr" creasing prices at which they have been selling, there is every reason to, believe that that number will be exceeded in the present year. With prices around $10 a hundred pounds, it can readily be seen that the hog raising business is at once of great importance im-portance to the people of the United States, and especially to those who are engaged in it. There is a very large prejudice against the hog as food, based principally, we believe, upon the fact that the animal will eat almost anything from rattlesnakes rat-tlesnakes to corn. But while the hog is not the daintiest in his tastes, and has been widely abused because of his supposed fondness for filth, the extent ex-tent of business done in pork products shows he holds a warm place in the hearts or stomachs of his admirers. The race is being developed by careful breeding, and the best breeders know that the use of the best foods produces the best porker. The hog is gh-en better surroundings today than formerly, and the superior quality of corn-fed hog is recognized recog-nized by all Avho have given the matter attention. We would not attempt to overcome anyone's prejudice preju-dice against the humble animal, but an acknowledgement acknowl-edgement of his growing importance in our commercial com-mercial life is necessary. |
