48 



TRANSACTIONS OF ONE FACTORY FOR TEN YEARS. 



As an example of the success of the co-operative system as applied to pig curing 

 and marketing, the following table kindly prepared by the manager, F. L. Sieck, is 

 given, showing the number of pigs killed in the factory at Frederickssund, the average 

 prices paid including dividends paid to members at the end of each year : — 



In the bacon curing industry there is a powerful organization consisting of a co- 

 operation of co-operative societies. It consists of representatives from all of the com- 

 mittees of co-operative slaughteries, embracing all the managers. The central office 

 of the association is at Copenhagen. Its principal duty is to diffuse immediately the 

 latest intelligence regarding the bacon industry among the various branches of the 

 association. This office is furnished from week to week with complete returns of the 

 business transacted at each co-operative factory, including cost of production, and the 

 actual market returns of bacon sold. This information is embraced in a circular which 

 is sent out to all factories enabling them to know how each is succeeding in com- 

 parison with other factories. This organization has proved a strong incentive to im- 

 proved methods and has therefore done much for the industry as a whole. 



Methods of Curing. 



Two methods of curing obtain in Denmark. The usual one is practically the 

 same as is in vogue in Canadian factories, the other is the Auto cure. By the former 

 system the sides after being dressed and cooled are charged with brine forced into the 

 flesh by means of hand or machine pumps. It is then salted, piled up, turned and 

 rubbed from day to day for about 11 or 12 days when it is ready to bale and ship. 



By the Auto cure system the sides which are loaded on trucks are run into strong 

 iron tanks. These are hermetically sealed, the air pump applied and as far as possible 

 a vacuum created inside. The tank is then filled with the curing solution under strong 

 pressure which forces itself into the flesh, filling veins, pores, etc., completely. The 

 sides are left in this condition from 8 to 9 hours when the brine is run off and the air 

 slowly admitted after the pressure has been reduced. Half an hour later the cylinder 

 is opened, the meat w^heeled out, stacked up to drip for a day when it is baled ready 

 for shipment. While this system saves time and labour it is not growing in favour 

 for the reason that the British merchant finds the bacon thus cured shrinks more than 

 that cured in the usual way. 



