FIFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART I. 19 



grass and clean sleeping place, clean feeding floors and troughs, hogs 

 regularly disinfected, pens also; fed only the best feed for growing animals, 

 some with very little corn mixed with the feed and many of them with none, 

 yet the disease broke out In a very malignant form, sweeping four-fifths of 

 the herd, yet with other farmers in the neighborhood who gave no attention 

 whatever to their hogs, other than to feed them, lost no more or as many in 

 proportion to the number, and in the same neighborhood, still another 

 farmer lost none; and so it goes over the difiEerant states, yet possibly for a 

 series of years swine plague may not be such a curse after all. Were it not 

 for this, who could venture to prophesy what the future price of hogs would 

 be on the market in five years. Their number would simply be marvelous. 



MARKET DEMANDS. 



"The market now demands quite a different style of hog than in former 

 years, and yet any kind of a hog will bring the ready cash, but not all with 

 equal profit. The most profitable hog for the general farmer to raise is one 

 that will with good care and feed reach a weight of from one hundred and 

 seventy-five to two hundred and seventy-five pounds in the shortest possible 

 time. To do this he must be a pig of good length of body, a good feeder 

 and make a part of his ration of grass, rape or clover. There has been of 

 late years a great hue and cry about the ' 'Bacon Hog," and there are some 

 who think we should return to the old type of fifty years ago, thus losing all the 

 improvement made by selecting and breeding for all these years, losing the 

 improvement in early maturing and feeding qualities of our modern hog. 

 To the farmers too far north to grow profitable crops of corn something 

 bordering along the Bacon Type of pig can be produced at a good profit 

 from any of the improved breeds of this day, when if sold at a weight of one 

 hundred and seventy-five to two hundred pounds would make prime bacon 

 and superb hams. Speaking of bacon and hams, it is said that the prin- 

 cipal reason our hams and pork products are discriminated against in 

 London (England) and Limerick (Ireland) markets is because of their better 

 quality, and that they can be sold cheaper than those produced in their own 

 country." 



AMERICAN HAMS. 



It is a recorded fact that the highest priced fancy pork products sol^ in 

 Ireland by the Limerick dealers was put up in Chicago, and by special 

 instructions marked with private brands of Limerick dealers, who for years 

 have been selling American hams and bacons for the continent as "Best 

 Irish Hams and Bacon." The authority of this can be found in Consular 

 Reports, number 122 and number 129. It is a matter of record also that the 

 Bacon Curers Association of Great Britain, who prosecuted the Junior Army 

 and Navy Stores of London for selling American Hams for Irish, secured a 

 fine and costs, amounting to $360. Investigation showed that the American 

 Hams were changed to Wiltshire hams by oiling them and rubbing them 

 with meal, then branding them ' 'Finest Wiltshire." They were then put 

 on the market as the genuine Irish product and sold for twenty-four cents 

 per pound, while the remainder of the identical consignment brought but 

 fievcnteen cents per pound, sold as American product. A correspondent for 

 an Eastern paper; living at Leeds, England, states that in their market the 



