FEEDING AND FATTENING 33 1 



breeds will always produce bacon under all circum- 

 stances. While this is true in a general way, it is not al- 

 ways true. It is the feed and mode of life that pro- 

 duces the bacon hog and that enables him to retain his 

 form as such after he has been developed. 



The bacon-hog type of the United States differs con- 

 siderably from the English bacon hog, which has re- 

 cently been introduced into the United States and is 

 rapidly establishing for itself a market class. There is, 

 liowever, a growing tendency toward the typical bacon 

 type. 



FEW BAOOX HOGS TN AiVrERICA 



There is a demand on the markets of this country 

 from foreign countries, and more largely from our own 

 country, for bacon, and there being few bacon hogs to 

 supply the demand, the trade is supplied from the lighter 

 hogs of the fat or lard hog type. The bacon, however, 

 does not command so high a price on the market as does 

 bacon from typical bacon hogs. The bacon hogs under 

 consideration here weigh from 155 to 195 pounds, and 

 range in age from six to eight months. They are simply 

 hogs selected from the light hogs in general that conform 

 as nearly as possible to the bacon type. They are not 

 \-ery fat, have fairly good development of muscle or lean 

 meat, and are as long and deej) inside as is possible to 

 obtain them. About 20 per cent of the light hogs that 

 come to the Chicago market are of this type. 



About 55 per cent of the light hogs coming to the 

 Chicago market are said to be of tlie light mixed class, 

 a somewhat miscellaneous sort, quite similar, except as 



