16 SWINE 



adapted to the production of bacon, the development of 

 this part of the hog is especially emphasized. 



The bacon hog, then, is one of great length and depth 

 of body, with good quality and smoothness throughout; 

 \vith medium width of body and thickness of flesh ; with 

 light neck and no excess of fat at any point. It should 

 have a covering of fat on the outside of its carcass of 

 about one and one-half inches in thickness, and have an 

 abundance of lean meat throughout. 



The weight of this hog must be between 160 and 200 

 pounds. The ideal weight is between 180 and 200 pounds. 

 These weights are desirable for various reasons. A hog 

 lighter than this is likely to be too young to furnish meat 

 of the best flavor and quality ; a heavier hog would prob- 

 ably be too fat because the tendency of a hog to take 

 on fat, under present conditions of feeding, is relatively 

 greater after this weight has been passed. If a hog is 

 heavier and not too fat, this shows that it was not well 

 enough fed to furnish the best kind of a carcass. Further- 

 more, the size of the cut of bacon is an important con- 

 sideration. Hogs of the mentioned weights furnish the 

 most desirable cuts. 



Bacon hogs that are handled in general by the markets 

 of the United States are not of this type. They are a 

 mean between the English bacon hog and the fat or lard 

 hog, and are usually selected from the lighter hogs of the 

 fat or lard type. They are not quite as heavy as the 

 English bacon hog because their tendency to fatten is 

 greater. They weigh between 155 and 195 pounds. 



Production of Type. Different conditions of both feed 

 and care will in time produce swine of different types. 

 Different markets also require a product of various types. . 

 Hence in order to take the inevitable result of prevailing 



