1921.] 



Pigs for Bacon. 



719 



PIGS FOR BACON. 



Sanders Spencer. 



Changes Leading to the Modern Type oi Bacon Pig. — The 



changes which liave taken place during tlie past lialf-centiiry 

 in the form, weight, quality and degree of fatness of the pig& 

 intended for conversion into bacon, have been equally as exten- 

 sive as in the pigs intended for consumption as fresh pork.* 

 We might even go further and express the opinion that the so- 

 called bacon curer's pig has assumed a special form and (character, 

 markedly distinct from the pork pig. 



These changes have been due to various causes, one of the 

 chief of which was the introduction some forty-five years ago of 

 cold air chambers into the bacon factory. These enabled the 

 bacon curer to carry on his trade with the same amount of ease 

 and as little loss during the summer as during the winter months. 

 This in turn made it unnecessary for the slaughtered pigs to^ 

 carry so great an amount of fat as was needed when the meat; 

 had to be heavily salted to keep it sweet during the hot weather. 

 The proportion of fat to lean was also requisite to stimulate the 

 appetite of the consumers, who were not tempted for any length 

 of time by the hard and very strongly salted lean portion of the 

 old-fashioned bacon. This difficulty of the hard and heavily 

 salted lean meat was completely removed by the adoption of the 

 mild curing process which became possible when the necessity 

 for preserving the meat for any considerable time ceased. A 

 • continuous supply of fresh cured bacon became available. 



x^Lmong the other causes for the change in the character, size 

 and weight of the bacon pig was the greatly increased purchasing 

 power of the wage earning classes. With the advent of greater 

 purchasing power came a desire for provisions of better quality, 

 and this was accompanied by a demand for an increased quantity 

 of food. It is quite possible that the consumption of an excessive 

 proportion of the heavilv salted old-fashioned bacon with its 

 large amount of fat from old pigs, might have been attended 

 with some inconvenience to the consumer, whereas the mild 

 cured bacon, not so rich and the produce of young pigs, was 

 much less likely to affect injuriously the health of the person 

 dining, not v^isely, but too v^ell on it. 



A change in the system of living amongst the wacje earners and 

 of the lower middle classes was taking place about the same time, 

 * See this Journal, October, 1921, p. 608. 



