Pigs: From Cave to Corn Belt

On the fertile lands of the central Mississippi Valley of the United States— the so-called corn belt—corn and hogs are the permanent inseparables, associates as typically American as ham and eggs, for corn turns out more units of meat, pound for pound, than any other foodstuff.
That, say Charles Wayland Towne and Edward Norris Wentworth, is why America's hog population is numbered in the millions and why the United States leads all other countries in the production of pork and pork products. More than fifteen billion pounds of pork and lard are consumed annually in the nation, bringing a return of more than three billion dollars to farmers, packers, and retailers.
Here is a comprehensive account of the pig—related with wit and authority from the first feral animals of cave dwelling days to the highly organized pork-producing industry of today. The spectacular hog drives of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the early-day methods of slaughtering and preservation. the growth of the packing house. and the development of modern breeds of swine all receive adequate attention. There is. as well. a discussion of the latest developments in the pharmaceutical by-products of the packing industry, the most spectacular of which is ACTH, still in the experimental stage as a palliative for rheumatoid arthritis.
Pigs: From Cave to Corn Belt is another important contribution in the field of livestock history; and although it was written for the general reader, the social historian and the livestock specialist will find it useful and instructive.