516 DOMESTIC ANIMALS, DAIRYING, ETC. 



made principally from bacon hogs. The leading cuts of this class 

 are English bacon sides, long-cut hams, clear backs and bellies, and 

 square shoulders. After curing, these cuts are packed in borax or 

 salt in 500 to 550-pound boxes for export. Borax is principally used, 

 but a small proportion of English cuts such as long clears are shipped 

 in salt, which continues the curing process during shipment. Eng- 

 lish meats are generally dried or smoked lightly after their arrival 

 at British ports before being sold. Meats cured by this process are 

 used to some extent in this country, being quoted as English-cured 

 sweet-pickled meats are also shipped in borax to England in con- 

 siderable quantities. 



Boiled meats consist of hams, picnic shoulders and loins cured 

 in sweet pickle, cooked in water and lightly smoked. The cuts 

 are usually boned and the fat trimmed off within one-half to one 

 inch' of the lean before cooking. Boiled hams and shoulders are 

 generally quoted as rolled boneless cuts, which are pressed in a cylin- 

 drical form, or rolled and tied with cord. Three loins are tied to- 

 gether for boiling, making a loin roll. Boiled meats are made prin- 

 cipally from the heavier cuts but various averages are used, including 

 12 to 30 pound hams, 10 to 14-pound picnics and 14 to 24-pound 

 loins. The boning and fatting reduces the weight of hams about 

 25 per cent and of loins, about 60 per cent. 



Grading Pork Cuts. The grading of pork cuts is more complex 

 than that of other meats since it involves not only their quality, 

 shape, proportions of fat and lean, and weight, but also the styles 

 of cutting and methods of packing by which they are prepared for 

 different classes of trade. Many of the grade names refer merely to 

 different methods of cutting and curing ; but since they are applied 

 only to cuts of specified quality, thickness or weight, the grades are 

 in reality based on the latter factors to a large extent. The various 

 cuts differ considerably as to methods of grading. 



Lard. From one-tenth to one-third of the hog carcass is made 

 into lard in large packing-houses, the proportion varying with the 

 relative price of lard and grade of hogs. The standard grades are 

 kettle-rendered leaf, kettle-rendered, neutral, prime steam, refined 

 and compound lard. They differ as to the kinds of fat they contain, 

 methods of rendering, color, flavor and grain. (111. B. 147.) 



There is a growing demand for clean, wholesome pork which 

 should be catered to by intelligent farmers. Thousands of people 

 are willing to pay increased prices for pork made from healthy, well- 

 fed animals, kept in a cleanly manner. There is no reason why farm- 

 ers cannot co-operate and establish small packing houses which shall 

 send out smoked ham, breakfast bacon, sausage and lard, which will 

 be eagerly bought up at good prices by a discriminating public. A 

 market for choice pork must be created and enlarged and the public 

 properly informed of the situation before this matter will take proper 

 shape. The plan is feasible, and certain sooner or later to be brought 

 about. Hogs fed to produce a large percentage of lean meat must, 

 to be profitable, sell for at least 20 per cent more than current prices; 



