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Missouri Agricultural Report. 



. ■ ^ i ly ' I 5 L 



Meat entered in Missouri Farmers' Ham and Bacon Sliow. 



thoroughly Missouri farmers have mastered the mysteries of meat 

 making. The show was advertised most too late to bring out a 

 large number of entries, yet twenty-one choice hams and ten 

 pieces of bacon were sent in. Fortunately ev.ery section of the 

 State was represented. The illustrations shown in connection with 

 this article give a general idea of the entries. As was to be expect- 

 ed, the need of a standard or pattern to which those who cure meat 

 for market might look to was strongly accented. There were 

 almost as many trims as entries. Some of the meat of highest 

 quality was not of neat appearance, and if offered for sale to the 

 city man used to the inviting shape in which the packing house 

 product is presented, would have found slow sale. In fact, the first 

 prize hame of the show (No. 2, next to large piece of bacon on 

 bottom row), was not as well trimmed as it should have been. 

 However, the judges took into consideration the fact that this being 

 the first show of the kind and no standard having been established, 

 only a slight cut should be made on this account. They took the 

 position that the curing of a good piece of meat requires much more 

 skill than the trimming. However, the committee recommended 

 that at the next show considerable attention should be given to 

 the trim, symmetry and general appearance of the meat. 



The second prize ham (No. 16, second row from bottom and 



