The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-07
AThe Tamworth Bacon Hog"

~. c. lockwood: In my last letter TO
your paper, I mentioned the Tamworrh
hog, and promised to tell something Of
that breed for the benefit of those who
are not familiar with it. Being a COM
paratively new variety Of the hog fam
lily, to most sections of this country,
it is not surprising il there are those
among YOUR readers who have never
seen one.
Imagine an animal which is a cross
between a Jersey Red Cor Duroc Jersey.
more properly speaking) and south
ern razor back, and you have the near
est approach to perfect description
which l can give of its appearance. In
color the Tamworth is a reddish brown.
He is long. lank and lean. Upon the
latter Quality-hiS leannesS-he bases
his claims for superiority over other
members of the genus hos. He certain
" is lean enough for a racahorse: his
flesh is no impeachment to his move
ments at any time. His ears stand
erect. and he has an alert air which Is
totally different from the average hog.
He is certainly the nearest approach 10
the razor back of any recognized breed
of swine.
It IS amusing to hear the comments
of those who visited the fairs, and saw
the Tamworths for the first time.
Whats this?" called out one old
farmer to another as they approached
some prize-winning specimens of the
breed.
For the lands sakel" exclaimed the
other; 81 guess it's a rhinoceros."
one. who stood for an hour near the
SPOT. says he heard not one commend
able word from those who came TO look
at them there. Everybody was making
fun 1af their appearance.
w the Tamworths are certainly
IpakiEg some money for those who are
broNding them at present. There is
great craze for something new Bacon
pork," as TamWorth pork is called, is
in good demand. All over The country
there is call for hog that VIII pro-
duce meat that has a 'streak of fat
and a streak of lean" and with the
other breeds it is difficult to produce it,
although it has been stated that an
Irishman proposed to do il by feeding
his swine only on alternate daSs-let-
ting them so hungry every other day
TO make the lean streak.
Packers are said 10 be willing 20 pay
more for bacon pork, and considering
the prices which the cured product
commands. il would seem that ohcy
could afford to do so. Certainly il is
worth more TO grow a pound of Tam
worth pork than of the other breeds,
since they take on flesh more slowly,
and do not give such good returns for
fosd consumed. One of our Tamworth
breeders, who has the best SPECIMENS
that money can buy, and who is selling
all his spare stock for breeding pur-
poses, at big prices, told the writer that
there is no money in growing them
for pork to be sold on the open market.
The Poland China. or other fat breeds.
will discount the Tamworths in tnat
respect, since it fattens much more
readily, and brings better returns COR
money invested. With this. as with
other things. however, those who are
first in the field with breeding stock of
this kind OF hogs are making money.
Single individuals may never command
the fabulous prices once paid for Po-
land Chinas. yet. when one IAN sell
piss at $50 to $40 each, when q few
mo2ths old. it is quite profitable. 1t is
tneS fad at present, and Tamworths are
ENJOYING q boom.
We have never heard the Razor Back
eulogized as a profitable hog FOR gen
eral purposes. nor do we believe the
Tamworth viii be found favorite with
farmers in general. There IS more
money in feeding pigs that grow rap
idly and are fat at any time and ready
for the block