MARKETING 231 



What the butcher wants. — Not only does the butcher 

 desire a carcass with as large a percentage of edible meats 

 as possible, but he also desires that as great a percentage 

 as possible of the carcass be made up of the higher-priced 

 cuts. These cuts are located in the hind part of the hog, 

 and are made up mostly of the ham and loin. It is the 

 hind half of the hog that makes money for the butcher 

 and packer, for it is this part that sells materially above 

 what he paid for it. Therefore, what the butcher really 

 wants for the retail meat trade is a high dressing hog, 

 not so fat that he has to be scaled, and with as large a 

 proportion of the carcass weight in the hams and loins 

 as is possible. A heavy ham, wide back and loin, with 

 straightncss of top and underline, and other character- 

 istics indicative of capacity for the production of high- 

 priced pork are sought. 



The dressing percentage. — The dressing per cent of 

 a hog is determined by dividing the dressed weight by 

 the live weight and multiplying by 100. Since it is the 

 carcass of the hogs we are after, the dressing percentage 

 becomes a very important factor. The expert buyer will 

 accurately estimate the dressing percentage. The ques- 

 tion of record and average dressing percentages is of 

 interest. On southern markets average hogs will dress 

 around 65 to 70 per cent. The better class range from 

 75 to 85 per cent. Hogs on southern markets will aver- 

 age nearly 5 per cent less than hogs from the Corn Belt. 

 At one slaughter test held in Chicago in which seventy 

 head of hogs were entered the highest dressing per cent 

 was 90.2. This figure is exceptional, of course. 



Factors affecting dressing per cent. — All kinds of hogs 

 come to the market. They will be found to dress all the 



