8 Jan., 1907.] Impressions of Denmark. 5^ 



pig rearing and fattening. Certainly a fair amount of bacon is produced, 

 but nothing like what ought to be; particularly in the matter of curing 

 very little is done by our farmers, many of whom seem to have a distaste 

 for pigs, at least as farm stock. Not so the Dane or the Irishman, as 

 both find the pig a great source of wealth, and we are all familiar with 

 the saying attributed to the small Irish farmer that " the pig is the 

 ' gintleman ' that pays the rent." There is much more truth in this than 

 is generally supposed. Before leaving Victoria I was asked to make 

 some inquiries into bacon producing as carried on in other countries. 

 Accordingly a visit was paid to a factory at Haslev, which was started 

 in 1901. Previous to this, a meeting of farmers in the neighbourhood 

 was held, when it was agreed to form a company and start a factory. 

 Each farmer guaranteed to supply so many pigs per annum ; for instance, 

 one would guarantee twenty, another fifty, another 100, and so on, smaller 

 quantities, of course, being taken. Each intending supplier had to give 

 a further guarantee of six kroner (6s. pd.) for every pig he had agreed 

 to supply. A proper form of guarantee was drawn out, and signed by 

 each pledged supplier. This was taken and presented to the bank, which 

 was satisfied with the signatures, and advanced enough capital wherewith 

 to erect buildings and provide plant, &c. A rule of the Haslev Company 

 is that the whole of the capital must be paid off in twenty-seven years ; 

 one twenty -seventh of his guarantee is therefore deducted from the supplier 

 annually until all is paid off. 



Hasley factory is situated on the outskirts of the town ; the buildings 

 are lofty, well aired, and ample for the business. The pigs of about 135 

 to 140 lbs. weight are most favoured. The farmers bring them in by 

 cart or forward by rail. The number slaughtered daily varies from seventv 

 to 100, each carcass being consecutively numbered as soon as the various 

 operations are completed. The live pigs are driven into a pen, where a 

 chain with a running noose is passed round the hind leg. The animals 

 when packed fairly close in the pen stand quietly, so that one man can 

 put on the chains very easily at the rate of two per minute. The chains 

 are from 3 to 3I feet long, and on the opposite end from the noose a 

 combined ring and hook is placed. Along the side of the catching pen 

 there slowly revolves a large wheel, 7 or 8 feet in diameter, round the 

 periphery of which three pins stick out on one side. As soon as the 

 attendant has got a pig by the foot he slips the ring at the end of the 

 chain on one of the pins in this wheel, which gently lifts up the pig by 

 the hind leg over the wall of the catching pen. At this point the hook, 

 which is part of the hoisting ring, automatically drops on to a well-greased 

 rail, and an instant later the ring slips off the pin on the side of the 

 wheel. As soon as this happens the hook and pig slide along the rail 

 to the slaughterer, who, with a well-directed thrust, cuts its throat, and 

 allows it to pass on to the bleeding-pen. The hanging position of the 

 pig permits of bleeding being done quickly and thoroughly, so that this 

 most disagreeable part of the process off bacon curing is got through in 

 the least possible time. The carcass is then passed into a furnajce for a 

 few seconds to singe. This done, it is passed on to the scalding bath, 

 and kept for a few minutes. When sufficiently scalded the carcass Is 

 pulled from the bath on to a pair of revolving brushes. These run in 

 opposite directions, and, instead of being .straight, are curved so as to 

 represent as nearly as possible the curvature of the body from the tail 

 to the nose. The brushes run at a fairly high speed, and varv in diameter 

 from I to 2 feet. While the carcass lies in the hollow between the two rollers 



