The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-03-07
OUR SWINE INDUSTRY.
Report of the Comm
fuiness oY american Hogs.

Commissioner Loring has lad before the
President the report of the commission APP
pointed to examine the swine industry of the
United States and into the allegations rela-
tive to the hcaltnfulnesi of pork products.
The inquiry embraces the origin and history
of hogs which make w the market supply,
their condition on farms, the meth DDS OF
mana cement, transporting, trea tnent at
stock yards, man er of slau yhteriny, curing,
rac iinG, handling and shipping of pork
products, the effect and extent of hog
d.sease, necessary preventive mea ures and
elect OF the curing process ON trchinp. The
methods of bree ling AMI rearing and fatten-
ing OF swine in the great hog producing re-
gionS are elabora.e'y set forth, and the re-
port is emphatic tEat there is no condition
surrounding the industry which tends to prof.
agate disease or render pork unhealthful.
II finds the number of hogs raised anrua ly
to be about thirty millions making a total
of cured meats, lard and other products of
4, ~, 10000 pounds. The most careful
thorough and minute inquiry seem to have
been made in the handling of pork from the
farm to port of debarka.iOI
From returns from railroad AMI tranSDOr
tatol companies, slaughter houses, packers
and shippers, confirmed by those from
b ards of health, humane societies and ex-
pertS employed by the commission, it aD-
pears that the utmost care is pre,erVed
throughout; that hogs Which de of disease
are never trans )crted except to olfal rem Ter
ing esiabl. shments: that diseased hogs are
reius ID transportation: tina humane Jaws
and sanitary regu atoms exist at all stock
yards, enforced by local inspectors under
penalty of fines, etc.; that rigid scrutiny is
enioinel at al slaughter houses; tha' meth
DDS of Slaughter aud packing, qualities of
material use |. ms Dection, etc, are regulated
by rules of chambers of commerce and of
trade, AMI constant care is exercised to see
fttl
any branch.
OF the extent o. diseases preventive
measures and the effect of salt on trichinP,
the report is full of valuable and int 4restin5
information. Even the extremely small per-
centaye of trichiuiaSiS as ShDwl by the in
vestigations OF the a sricultural department,
seems to be largely removed by processes of
curing. The degree of heat necessary to
render pork harmless is treatel of at length.
The commission deny that hog cholera is
dangerous to human health, and assert tn >
impo ,Sibility of curing such meat even so as
20 dec i've the most superficial examiner
The report points out the practibillty of Il
microscopic inspection, if such is necessary
to remove existing restrictions. The com
mission state that their examination proves
our pork fully equal, perhaps Superior, to
that of France on Germany; TO general
disease exists, AMI the occasional pres
ence of trichilp is comparatively unim-
portant. The report is signed by Mr..
George B. Loring, chairman of the board
Mr. EW. Blatchford. of Chicago: Professor
Chandler, of New York; DR.. ID. L. Salmon.
of the department of agriculture, and Mr..
F. ID. Curtis, of New DIRK, and in conclusion
it SAYS:
'"While we believe that no legit mate
grou ID exists for the restrictions imposed in
some foreign countries on the importation of
American pork, we are satisfied thai micro
scopic inspection Of all pork for export can
be secured at the packing houses, if such in
spection should be deman led"