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Pigs for Bacon. 



[Nov., 



of improving their bacon. The bacon curers in America alone 

 appear not to have taken the necessary steps to improve their 

 pigs so that the bacon which they export in such large quan- 

 tities to this country could compete on fair terms with that which 

 is imported from other countries. One of the principal reasons 

 -given by the packers is that it is impossible to get American 

 breeders to pay attention to the feeding of their hogs with a 

 view to improving the quality of the pork. They can grow com 

 or maize in such large quantities and can feed it to their pigs 

 with so little expense, when labour is so costly, that they are 

 content to produce inferior quality pork, being ignorant or care- 

 less of the fact that the production of a better article from pigs 

 longer in the body and carrying a larger proportion of lean meat, 

 would be far more profitable to them and more satisfactory to 

 us as consumers. 



Modern Requirements. — When the requirements of the 

 modern bacon curer are carefully studied, they are seen to be 

 by no means of so onerous a nature as to prevent our breeders 

 and feeders complying with them, providing more care and 

 attention be paid to the subject than used to be the case when 

 the pig was of far less importance than at present. About all 

 that is asked of the present day pig owner is that he should 

 make a study of the wants of the consumer and then proceed 

 to supply these wants in a business-like manner. 



Most of the needs of the consumer of ba^on at present are 

 comprised in the following particulars: — The bacon must carry 

 only a comparatively small proportion of fat to lean; it must 

 be of fine quality, i.e., the skin and the bone must be fine and 

 the flesh free from coarseness; the joints must be of compara- 

 tively small size; and in order to conform to the two last 

 qualifications the fat pig must be liberally fed on suitable food 

 all its life, which must be a short one. 



Length of Body. — As to the formation of the pig best suited for the^ 

 manufacture of such bacon, it should be long in the body, so that as large a 

 proportion as possible will consist of the middle which realises the highest 

 price of any part of the side. 



The hams should be long and well developed down to the hock, so that the 

 proportion of bone to meat will be small and the ham shapely. 



The flank should be thick, as this is a sure indication that the pig carries a 

 large proportion of lean to fat meat. 



The shoulders should be light, as this portion of the sides is in limited 

 demand and realises a lower price than either the middle or hinder portion 

 of the side. 



The legs should be short and the bone of fine quality, as this is held to be^ 



