The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-07-25
Alfred Butler, Agent.
BELLEFONTAINE. OHI<
THE BACON HOG.
1t Pays to Breed and Feed for the
Discriminating Markets.

ing markets at the present time are
those weighing 100 to 225 lbs., with long
and deep sides, light head and jowl,
light shoulders with great depth of
chest and wide between the forward
legs, and with great heart-girth, the
testimony of power to purify and propel
and of great vitality. The modern
bacon hog is wide behind with strong
back and great depth through the
flanks, hams full and wide and we'll let
down to hook. A brood SOW of such
conformation will be more be prepotent,
will have the functions of motherhood
more pronounced, have greater preco-
city than any breed or form of hog at
present in existence. Seldom does a
true bacon SOW farrow less than
twelve pigs, and this is worth consider
ing when the other breeds seldom aver
age more than seven.
think modern swine-raising can be
made one of the most profitable indus
tries of the day. I believe there is
better opening just now for swine
growing than for any other branch of
live stock raising. There has been
fully 40 per cent. more bacon consumed
in 1898 than there has been in any pre-
vious year of the worlds history. Peo-
pie had no idea what choice mOrsel
could be elaborated from the ubiquit-
Gus hog until modern packing appl-
ances took the curing in hand. There
is as much difference between a roll of
modern bacon and the old-time picked
hunk as between the porter house and
shank, and, as result, the mild cured
bacon of the packing house is fast dis
placing beef as meat for the great
mass of the worlds middle class. The
change wrought in the bacon trade of
late years is truly marvellous. Some
ten or fiften years ago bacon or other
wise salted pork was mainly
eaten by the lower classes. Now, even
these don't want to eat salted pork any
lmore The most common breakfast
dish on the table of the well-to-do is
that of friedbacon, while the small, long
and lean ham of Il to Is pounds is al
most invariably found on the sideboard
and receives frequent attention. This
unique change in the taste and fashion
has been brought about chiefly by two
causes-by the mild cure and by the
evolution of that particular type o1
bacon hog of which the Tamworth is
the best representative.
1t is not remarkable then that the
ideal bacon hogs fetch much higher
price than the thick, fat. chunky hog,
which has been described by some one
as animated lard bladders." This
will, no doubt, be an incentive to the
farmer to breed and feed the hog con
formally to the demands of the pack
ers. The Chicago packers are prob
ably the most enterprising men in thi:
particular line in the world. In the
last year or two some of them have
suggested to the swine raisers of the
great Middle West to breed bacon hogs
but with little success. One leading
Chicago packerkeeps buyer in Can
ada, who purchases bacon hogs righ
along, paying the Canadian swine
raiser about l cent per pound above the
price paid in Chicago. From facts be
fore us the majority of hog breeder.
then either do not understand what the
market demands or else stubbornly con
tinue to raise class of heavy, fat hogs
which are salable only at much lower
prices.
The demand for heavy pork is limit
ed compared to what it was some year!