CHAPTER II. 



JUDGING SWINE OF BACON TYPE. 



Canadian Export Trade. In order to treat the subject 

 of judging in a satisfactory manner, it will be necessary to 

 first explain the nature of the Canadian export trade. In the 

 first place, the Canadian farmer cannot compete successfully 

 with the American farmer in the production of the fat, or 

 lard type of hog, because the American farmer has cheap 

 corn at his disposal, and corn is the greatest of lard produc- 

 ing foods. Owing to the cheapness of the foods he uses, 

 he can realize a profit at prices for his hogs which would be 

 ruinous to the Canadian farmer. In the second place, the 

 Canadian packer cannot compete with the American packer 

 in handling the products from the lard hog, because he has 

 not the immense home market in which to dispose of two 

 very important products of the lard hog, namely, lard and 

 oleomargarine (artificial butter). In other words, a much 

 larger proportion of the hog must be consumed as meat in 

 the case of the Canadian product than in the case of the 

 American. There is only a limited demand for fat pork, 

 and, therefore, in Canada, where there is no market for 

 oleomargarine, and a comparatively limited market for lard, 

 it follows that the fat hog cannot be used to advantage. As 

 a result of these conditions, the Canadian breeders and 

 packers have been forced into producing a class of hog which 

 does not come so directly into competition with the Ameri- 

 can product in the British market. The kind of bacon of 

 which Canadian packers make a specialty, is what is known 

 as the "Wiltshire Side," a product which American packers, 

 as yet, have made no attempt to produce. The Canadian 

 product is taken by the large English cities, especially Lon- 



