PURPOSE AND METHOD OF USE 319 



leg of mutton in sheep. In swine the shape of the head 

 especially is very largely determined by the bony frame- 

 work, next the shoulders, then the body and least of all the 

 hindquarters. The importance of these points will be fully 

 appreciated in scoring or comparing a class of animals to 

 determine merit from the market standpoint. Block animals 

 are judged according to the amount, location, and quality of 

 the edible products. In swine there is a more uniform 

 distribution of natural flesh, and a higher dressing percentage 

 than in other animals. The value of these parts therefore 

 varies less than in cattle or sheep. 



Purpose and Method of Use. — ^The carcass of swine is used 

 either in the fresh form or in a cured condition. Practically 

 all of the cuts, with the exception of the edible parts of the 

 viscera, may be prepared in a permanent condition for market 

 uses. Portions from the head, neck, and jowl may be 

 minced and made into various products for immediate or 

 future consumption. Backbones and ribs are usually con- 

 sumed in a fresh condition or left intact with the sides. 

 Otherwise practically all of the cuts from the hog can be 

 prepared intact for future use. Such parts include the 

 shoulders, hams, sides, belly meat, and leg portions. When 

 prepared in this condition the cuts become standard market 

 products. 



There is probably no other animal in which the use is as 

 wide or varied. On this account pork products are very 

 wide in adaptation among all classes of people. The various 

 cuts obtained from the hog are not only prominent from 

 the packing-house standpoint, but also from that of the 

 farmer and the city patron. No other farm animal can be 

 produced as profitably under such a range of conditions. 

 The greater uniformity in the value of the various cuts and 

 their edibility, in both the fresh and cured form, gives a 

 double significance to this type of animal. Knowledge of 

 the form of the hog and its value is more widely disseminated 

 than that of any other block animal. It constitutes one of 

 the main sources of meat, especially among the average 

 class or common people. In judging the hog, its adapt- 

 ability to the purposes and conditions mentioned should be 

 given close consideration. 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



