54 



BACON IN ENGLAND. 



The Commission called upon a number of firms in London and Glasgow who 

 handle Canadian, Irish, Danish and other brands of bacon. Without an exception 

 dealers spoke favourably of Canadian bacon. The finish and shape of the sides of 

 Canadian are satisfactory. In these respects Canadian sides lead others. Both Danish 

 and Irish sides are less carefully scraped and trimmed, and the former carries a bit 

 more waste at either end. The Danish side carries the leg bone down to the hock and 

 knee, while the Canadian is cut higher up. The Danes also leave on as much as the 

 market will stand of the jowl, whereas in Canadian the head is cut off squarely. 



Canadian bacon was claimed to have shown a slight deterioration during the past 

 three years. While supplies were heavy packers were more careful to keep back light 

 and soft sides. The great shortage is leading them to put in many unfinished sides. 

 Ideal weights of sides are 48 to 70 pounds, but much Canadian runs from 42 to 44 

 pounds per side. These light sides are dubbed ' skin and grief.' The chief complaint 

 expressed was the serious falling off of Canadian supplies. 



A few years ago Canadian bacon established an excellent reputation, and trade 

 was growing satisfactorily. Had the supply increased it is difficult to estimate the 

 magnitude of the trade that might have been reached even now. One firm that in 1903 

 was handling from 300 to 900 boxes of Canadian weekly, had dropped, in 1907, to 200 

 to 400, and 1909 to 117 to 186 boxes per week. Other firms reported a similar decrease. 

 The result is that customers have to be supplied with Dutch, Russian, Danish and other 

 makes, and where they get satisfaction in using these they cease to ask for Canadian. 

 Canadian bacon has, therefore, during the past few years lost much ground that would 

 be difficult to regain. 



The quality of Canadian bacon is satisfactory. It is not nor cannot be equal to 

 the Danish, on account of the harder cure that is necessary to keep the meat during 

 the longer journey. In three days after Danish bacon leaves the curing cellar it is 

 ready for the smoke house, and two days later it goes on to the counters of the retailers. 

 Canadian, on the other hand, requires 14 days in transit, and this demands the harder 

 cure. The taste of the British consumer is the same for bacon as for butter. It 

 prefers mildness of flavour. Again the stronger cure of Canadian imparts hardness 

 which is even more objectionable than a little extra salt. Danish bacon cuts on the 

 plate almost like fresh pork, while Canadian has a tendency to break under the knife. 

 This difference that cannot be overcome gives Danish a slight advantage in price, but 

 there is room for both as all customers do not demand the mild flavour. Canadian 

 curers have, from time to time, endeavoured to overcome the difference and have lost 

 boxes of sides that were undercured. By the use of a light application of borax before 

 shipping, strength of cure has been reduced, but this treatment has its own objection- 

 able features. While Canadian and Danish bacon differ in the degree of cure and other 

 minor features, they are stronger rivals than Irish and Canadian. Irish bacon to a 

 large extent has a field of its own. It enjoys a popularity earned many years ago, and 

 rather than risk loss through undercuring the Irish curer adheres to a fairly strong 

 salting. In a test of disguised samples of Canadian, Irish and Danish bacon selected 

 by an experienced London dealer, the sample which proved to be Danish was unani- 

 mously voted the best, Irish next and Canadian last. Mildness of cure, tenderness and' 

 flavour were the qualifications observed. It is claimed, and on good ground, that the 

 tenderness and fine flavour of Danish bacon is, to a large extent, due to the rapid 

 growth of the pigs and the universal use of milk in feeding. English Wiltshire curers 

 know the value of milk in imparting quality, and their buyers have regard to this 

 when selecting hogs throughout the country. 



Canadian bacon is practically all consigned to commission firms, to whom the 

 wholesalers look for their supplies. Some Danish, on the other hand, is bought in 



