360 



TEE AOBICULTUBAL JOURNAL. 



The Besi Pigs for Baon. 



AN interesting pig-feeding experiment 

 was recently carried cat by the 

 Government Agricultural College, 

 Hawkesbury, Australia, the object being 

 to test the relative merits of different 

 breeds of pigs for bacon-curing purposes. 

 The experiment was conducted under the 

 supervision of the principal of the col- 

 lege, Mr. Valder, who has given an ac- 

 count of the results at present obtained. 

 Four distinct breeds of pigs are ordinarily 

 kept at the college, viz., Yorkshires, Berk- 

 shires, Tamworths, and Poland Chinas, 

 and from amf)ng these a well-known 

 Sydney bacon curer was entrusted with 

 the selection of a number for the purpose 

 of experiment. The gentlemen in ques- 

 tion selected two Berkshiies, two large 

 Yorks, two Tamworths, one middle York, 

 and one cross between a Yorkshire and a 

 Berkshire. These were fed in the same 

 way from the date of birth till slaughtered 

 at ages ranging from seven to eight 

 months, when they were found to cut up 

 as follows : — 







Aver. 



Aver. 



^ V r. 







Live 



Dead 



Yld. c,f 



Breed. 



Age. 



Weight. 



Weight. 



Ba on 





Mthg. 



lb. 



lb. 



lb. 



Berkshires ... 



7 



IRG 



112 



72i 



Tamwerth ... 



8 



226 



145 



106i 



large York- 











shire 



7 



172 



122 



89 



Mid. Yorkshire 



7 



IGO 



104 



89 



Yorkshire-Beik 











shire 



7 



169 



112 



92 



The results showed that well-bred pigs 

 of all these breeds will be sufficiently 

 heavy at seven months for market pur- 

 poses if liberally fed. From the weights 

 given above it M'ould appear that the 

 Yorkshire-Berkshire gave by far the 

 heaviest percentage of bacon, and the 

 Berkshire the lowest. But it is hardly 

 fair to judge by a single test, especially 

 when so few animals were used, as so 

 much depends upon the individuality of 

 the animal. 



Re})resentativcs of the leading whole- 

 sale and retail bacon dealers of Sydney, 

 after careful consideration, placed them 

 as follows : — 1. Herkshire ; 2, Yorkshire- 

 Berkshire ; 3, Tamworth ; 4, Large York- 



shire ; f). Middle Yorkshire. The judges 

 were of opinion that had the 'raiuworths 

 been killed a month earlier they would 

 have taken a higher place. The Berk- 

 shires and the Yorkshire- Berkshii-es were 

 pronounced to be of splendid quality, and 

 very suital)le for the Sy^lney market. 

 The Yorkshires, although showing meat 

 of excellent quality, had too large a per- 

 centage of fat. 



In a special report on the test the re- 

 pieseutative of the bacon curers said ; — 

 "For quality the Berkshires hud the 

 advantage, as when cut the meat showed 

 a proper streakiness, besides being tine in 

 texture. But had the Tamworths been 

 killed at the sauie weights as the Berk- 

 shires they would in all probability have 

 given quite as much satisfaction in this 

 respect. Generally speaking, I consider 

 that the Berkshires are the best pigs 

 from a bacon curer's point of view, as the 

 ham is more plump and saleable than 

 that of the Tamworth. 1 also believe 

 that a cross between these two breeds 

 will produce one of the most useful types 

 of bacon pig. The Yorkshire-Berkshire 

 sent produced a good saleable bacon, but 

 the pure-bred Yorkshire were much too 

 fat for the local market. It seems to me 

 that from a breeder's point of view the 

 Tamworths were a long way in front of 

 the others, but, of course, it would hardly 

 be fair to come to any decision on this 

 point until some of the other tests are 

 completed." 



Dr. Jolm Hay, proprietor of the Berry Cen- 

 tral Creaauevy,* one of the largest and most 

 complete establishments of tlie kind in Xew 

 South Wales, is a strong advocate for paeteur- 

 i>ation of milk intended for butter-making. 

 Sl^eaking nt the annual dinner of the suppliers 

 1(] ihe central and supplying factories, he told 

 the fiirnii rs that he received a clear :ld. per 

 pound iiioie for pasteurised butter than for 

 their best (|uality ordinary butter. This repre- 

 sented ,i:4..')n() during tlie year. The priniest 

 [■asteurised butter realised id. per pound and 

 the next quality Id. per pound above ordinary 

 top market rate.s. Two years since pa.-steur- 

 iilng of milk was adopted at some of the sup- 

 p'ying factories, and Dr. Hay said he was a 

 Eironger advocate than ever of the practice. 



