HOG PRODUCTS FROM AMERICA 357 



climatic and other conditions peculiar to the corn belt. Three 

 principal reasons have influenced the development of the fat 

 or lard hog (i) the abundance and relatively low price of 

 maize ; (2) the American home demand for cured meats ; 

 (3) the foreign demand for cheap meats. The fat or lard 

 hog of the United States thus came to be produced, not only 

 because he could be reared more cheaply than the bacon hog, 

 but because there was a demand for just such an animal." 



" Bacon hogs, as their name indicates, are used for the 

 production of bacon that is, pork that has been salted and 

 then smoked. Where this kind of meat is prepared from a 

 carcase, the hams and shoulders are sold separately. Much 

 of the * English bacon ' is cut into what is called a ' Wiltshire 

 side ' ; this is the whole side, with merely the head and feet 

 cut off. The bacon hog that is representative of this class 

 belongs primarily to Great Britain, Denmark, and Canada. 

 In recent years this hog has been introduced into the United 

 States, and is rapidly establishing for itself a market class." 



We now pay over 12,000,000 yearly for hog products 

 sent to us by America l as follows : 



The best quality of pork is produced in moderately cold 

 weather. The low temperature renders the flesh firm ; it is 

 also produced at a slower rate in cold weather, and is in 

 consequence more mature. There are striking differences in 

 the market requirements in the local pork-consuming centres 

 of the United Kingdom. For the Newcastle trade, pigs 

 weighing from 5 to 9 stones are in best request ; for 

 Birmingham, they require to be of medium weights 10 to 

 1 5 stones and for Bradford and Manchester, heavy weights 

 of from 14 to 20 stones are in most demand. There has in 

 recent years been a tendency to boom small porkers, as there 



1 This figure can be brought down to date from time to time by 

 referring to the Annual Returns of the Board of Trade. 



