1909.] 



Co-operative Bacon Curing. 



103 



For crossing purposes, however, the others are of considerable 

 value, and it must be remembered that a pure breed of pigs 

 is not wanted by the bacon curer. What he wants is the 

 bacon pig, and this is an animal which does not belong to 

 any particular breed. 



A bacon pig should mature in about seven months, and it 

 should turn the scale, "dead weight," at about 12 stone, or 

 168 lb. This size represents a live weight of from 15J to 16 

 stone, and may generally be regarded as fetching the highest 

 price for bacon curing purposes. Smaller pigs which are 

 used for various sections of the trade, such as the making 

 of hams and middles, may be in demand in certain localities, 

 as heavier pigs may also be in demand ; but on the average 

 these will be w T anted in small numbers. 



The Construction of a Factory. — When a co-operative 

 society has been formed, the first business will be to arrange 

 for the construction of the bacon factory, and it will be 

 found that, in comparison with the older factories, it is 

 possible to construct a modern building very much more 

 cheaply than was at one time the case. It was considered 

 essential in the early days of bacon curing that there should 

 be strong, thick walls around the factory. This notion, how- 

 ever, has been abandoned, and factories built for the most 

 part of corrugated iron are likely to be more common than 

 any other type in the future. In such a factory the con- 

 struction can be so arranged as to lend itself easily to exten- 

 sion, if necessary, at any time. The main structure need not 

 be expensive; corrugated iron is quite good enough for the 

 roof and sides. In so far as the cellar, chill room, and 

 engine room are concerned, these can advantageously be 

 constructed of concrete walls, with hollow spaces, or built 

 with concrete bricks or slabs with hollow centres. 



The general arrangement throughout is that, as far as 

 possible, one department follows the other in sequence, the 

 object to be kept in view being to minimise the labour in 

 connection with the cycle of operations. 



It has been found that the best form of factory is such as 

 would be contained within a rectangular space, and in two 

 of the most modern factories, i.e., at Roscrea in Tipperary, 

 and Dunmow in Essex, this design has been followed 



