SHRINKAGE OF SOFT PORK. 3 
and since the war, became so serious that appeals were made to 
various branches of the Government, particularly the U. S. Depart- 
ment of Agriculture and the Federal Trade Commission, to determine 
the justice of the penalizing market practices. 2 In response to this 
demand the Federal Bureau of Markets began an investigation of the 
problem early in 1919. 
Some of the leading live-stock markets where southern hogs are 
shipped in large numbers were visited, and the following differences 
in prices per 100 pounds live weight were found to exist between hogs 
suspected of being soft or oily and those expected to produce firm 
carcasses. 
Place. 
Difference. Place. Difference. 
Fort AYorth, Tex... $2. ! East St. Louis, 111.. $5 to $7. 
Birmingham. Ala . . S3 for oily and SI. 50 for soft. ! Indianapolis, Ind . . I $2. 
Richmond, va . .„. . $3 for oily and S2 for soft. ; Kansas City, Mo : . . $4. 
'I 
In view of the fact that there seemed to be no uniformity in the 
discounts or methods of applying them at any one market, and that 
great variations prevailed among the different markets, it was 
deemed advisable to conduct tests which might assist in determining 
the reason of the discrimination and, if possible, to determine what 
differences really existed between the three kinds of pork, especially 
with reference to the shrinkage and merchandising factors. These 
two factors, therefore, were given careful study and two series of 
commercial tests were made to ascertain whether the objections 
cited were material and serious enough to justify the discounts given. 
The results of the tests and information obtained are described in 
this bulletin. 
Since this work was completed, the Bureau of Animal Industry of 
the United States Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with a 
number of State agricultural experiment stations, has undertaken a 
comprehensive investigation of the soft-pork problem. This line of 
research is being conducted to determine primarily the various 
fundamental causes of soft pork and their relationships, and to 
develop methods of avoiding or overcoming the soft condition. 
Related questions, including the shrinkage of pork from hogs of the 
various degrees of firmness through the packing-house processes are 
being studied in connection with this work. On account of the 
comprehensive and detailed character of these investigations it will 
be some time before results can be published. 
TESTS ON A COMMERCIAL SCALE. 
It was desired to conduct the tests here reported under conditions 
that would, as nearly as possible, represent the difficulties experi- 
2 The prices fixed for hogs by the Food Administration did not include those suspected of being soft or 
oily. 
