The state herald., 1891-12-18
THE FARM AND HOME.
A HINT CONCERNING THE
EUROPEAN MARKET.
The Best Breed for Choice Bsoon-
Young Bosf for Proft-soab on
Fruit Trsss-Farm Notes
and Dom estic Dots.
The Be.t Brood for Cho.os Bacon.

The best Breed for Choice Bacon.
believe much greater quantity OF
bacon is consumed In Great Britain
and ireland. and perhaps also on the
Continent than Of fat side pork. both
fresh and salted. 1t is quite impor-
tant therefore, to the American farmer
who wishes to export writes A. B.
Allen in the Country Gentleman. to
grow that breed OF swine which shall
produce the most desirable quality OF
flesh for smoking. A hog for this
purpose must abound In tender lean.
Juicy moat rather than fat as the lat
ter quality is entirely unsuitable for
bacon, and fit only for sailing to pack
in barrels for commercial dealing.
Tho shape Of such swine should be
rather long than short In body. full on
the back Of extra depth, wide shoul-
ders and broad thick hams. head and
neck of moderate length and hne,
legs the same, active in movement
and completely FREQ from all sluggish
mesa
Swine destined for bacon ought to
have moderate exercise In the open
air. In summer a grass or clover pas
ture with pure water running In 1t is
preferable; In winter dry yard with
warm. room, well bedded pens at
tached for shelter whenever desired by
tho animal to resort to them.
For feed, aside from pasture, give
wheat bran or shorts or oat or barley
meal rs required, mixed with pint
to quart OF aaxseed or cottonseed
meal. according to tho size OF the AMI
NAL, morning and night Early in
autumn add sugar beets or other roots,
or pumpkins, as much as will be eaten;
and three to four weeks before slaugh-
ter, give Indian corn or meal, from
one-third to ono-half the proportion OF
their other food. More of this grain
should not be used, as 1t would tend
to make the flesh too fat
The late opening OF European mar
kets for our hog products will require
an immense additional quantity OF
live and dead meat to supply them-a
rich boon TO our farmers. Of which
they should make haste to take advan-
tage. Swine OF medium size are do
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quickest TO breed and rear. These
may bo grown suitable for market In
nine to twelve months time from
birth. This is SO much faster than
rearing cattle that It enables small
farmers and those possessing little
capital to go into the business as well
and rs prohtably as those OF much
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man as good chance to gain fair
percentage in his occupation as the
rich.
In regard to tho best breed OF swine
which is possessed In America to pro.
duce choice bacon and hams the
Berkshire is superior. as he turns out
the largest percentage OF tender. lean,
juicy meat His nearly equal. per-
haps is tho Duroc or Jersey Red. or
what is called the Tamworth In Eng
land. This is supposed to bo descended
from the old unimproved Berkshires
OF tho present day, for some Of them
are nearly spoiled by breeders In the
quality OF their shoulderA hams and
sidc-piccca Thoy havo shortened the
head, length and depth OF tho body.
given them . pug and fat jowls
like tho Chinese and fed them almost
entirely on corn. The result is that
the largest percentage Of the Herh Is
fat instead OF tender. lean. Juicy meat,
totally unfit for bacon. All such breed
ing should bo stopped at once. not
only In Borkshires. but othor CLASSES
OF swine that nre reared expecting to
mako bacon OF them.
Most Of the portraits OF swine ap-
pearing in our agricultural papers arc
OF this very fat shape-mere carica.
lures Of what good bacon animal
should be- and the additional misfor-
tune Is added Mt the shows Of agricul.
tural societies In appointing judges
who know nothing OF tho desirable
points necessary TO form suitable bacon
animals, and tho result is prizes are
awarded TO unsuitable unimala ,to
the injury OF breeding good ones that
will sell more quickly n. u higher
price.