THE TYPES OF SWINE 279 



In this they differ materially from the fat or lard hogs 

 whose carcasses yield fresh pork, lard and cured meat, 

 one portion of the latter being bacon. This lard hog 

 bacon, however, must be considered as a by-product of 

 pork and lard production. It consists only of the lower 

 two thirds of the side, between the shoulders and hams 

 and below the limit of the fresh cuts from the back and 

 loin; and being cut from a hog that has been bred and 

 fed for lard the side is too soft and coarse grained to rank 

 with true bacon. 



291. Production. — The carcass of the bacon hog is 

 split into two Wiltshire sides which are cured entire 

 and are then all cut up for bacon. There is, however, a 

 difference in the grade of bacon derived from the different 

 regions of the side, that cut from the upper part and 

 center of the strip being superior to that at the lower 

 part and ends. 



Merit in a Wiltshire side is determined by weight, 

 160-200 pounds ; shape, — long and trim with maximum 

 development along the back from shoulders to gammons, 

 where the highest priced cuts of bacon are taken ; con- 

 sistence, which should be firm, not soft or flabby ; texture 

 of lean, which is finer than in any other pork product; 

 and fat, only enough to show a uniform margin one to one 

 and a half inches wide along the back bone. Such a side 

 can be produced only in a hog of the correct type. 



292. Type. — The bacon type is characterized by length, 

 and all that is correlated with it, i.e. length of side pri- 

 marily, with a long snout, long legs, a narrow, trim body 

 and especially light fore and hind quarters (Fig. 138). 



293. Conformation. — Being a longer, narrower hog 

 all over, the head of the bacon hog is characterized by 

 greater length, less width and depth, making it more 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



