SMALL HOLDINGS 157 



and in this way to realise Id. or 2d. per lb. 

 more by retailing than would be paid them by 

 a dealer or the butcher in their nearest market 

 town. Occasionally a small holder is skilled 

 in curing bacon, but although this work is 

 not intended to deal with technical questions 

 of this character, it may be remarked in pass- 

 ing that young pigs adapted for curing pur- 

 poses will pay their breeder well if he is able 

 to convert them into bacon and hams for 

 sale direct to the consumer. 



Although the cost of curing, however, is 

 extremely small, it is essential to devote 

 daily attention to the meat as it lies in 

 pickle. It will be well, however, to remark 

 that bacon cured by the private individual 

 is now invariably cured with salt, sugar, 

 and a small quantity of saltpetre, whereas 

 that cured by the bacon factor is preserved 

 by the aid of a large proportion of boric 

 acid — a material which the small holder 

 will be well advised to ignore, for if he fails 

 to cure bacon for sale to his customers 

 he will probably cure a small quantity for 

 himself. 



In days gone by farm labourers were in the 

 habit of keeping fat pigs for their own consump- 

 tion during winter. They almost invariably 



