The progress., 1904-10-01

BACON AHn YAT HOGS.


xuO@0QUy*4&U ASSSAoAs ~Hses - -
both demanding higher quality n
meats. This particular feature IN meat
produo1ion has not been given agreat
sonpupt 4 study. though the questions
Of crop production and economic feed
ing have been quite exhaustiyely stud
~ in every state OF the union. Ths
prime object OF the meat producer 10
the past has been to set the greatest
POSSIBLE increase In live weight In the
fattening animal at the lowest cost,
ana this great weight has frequnt
consisted Of disproportiOnate amounts
Of fat in the case Of the finished AMI
NAL. The trade ofethe past stimulated
this fat productioo BY placing 2 pre-
MUM on apimalsS that would dress out
the greatest per cent. of CARCASS, ana
this was accomplished in the highest
degree by the excessively ut ones. To-
- there seems to be two extremes In
the condition Of market animals, on
the onU hand too much weight and fat,
and on the other not enough; 1t - not
an easy matter to produce thick
fleshed animals with . suitable proper
tion OF fat properly distributed.
The demands ofsthe consumer are
changing. The invention Of labor-sav-
Ing machinery has greatly modified the
demands upon the muscular energies OF
those engaged in many pursuits. The
taste d the consumer In general is in
clining more and more toward the
consumption Of more; flesh and less
lard and tallow. Vegetable and miner
al oils are, to a large extent, super
seding the animal oils for purposes OF
fabrication, and to some
extent for domestic purposes
The producer must adopt methods Of
breeding, feeding and management
whereby thick-feshed rather than
over-fat carcasses will @be produced.
The markets have begun to discrim-
mate against too much fat. They re-
alize the difficulty Of inducing the pro-
ducer to deviate from long-practiced
methods, and have adopted as q meth
cd q securing bstter quality Of meats.
Determinations against heavy, over-fat
beeves and tallowy lambs and mutton.
The market puts a premium on light
and intermediate weights, which means
that the producer muk market his AMI
mails at an earlier age; at time when
the proportion Of fat and lean Is mar
rover than in the heavily-fattened ma
ture animal. The numereus large pack
ing plants of the country have ex-
pressed their 'disapproval of the ekcess
Of tallow on beeves by refraining from
bidding on heavily-fattened show ani-
mails. u -
The present situation would seem to
indicate that virorous campaign Of
and education along
these lines must be speedily and uni
versally adopted. We say investiga-
tion, because the production of thick
Heshed carcasses In large measure in
wolves the problems in breeding which
lead us to the gateway of a field as yet
little explored. 7
A grave question confronting~the
meat producer is, how is he going to
know when he has produced this de-
sired quality? He breeds, feeds and
markets his animals, but rarely ever
loes he see their carcases after they |
nave been %dressed. The block tests |
naugurated by the International Live
Stock exposition have demonstrated
hat even expert judges have not al
Ways been able to select from among
he living animals those which would
,roduce the best carcasses. These tests
lave decided against the one time
Winning hulks of tallow. And yet,
the useful and prac-
ical nature of these educational fea-
ures presented by the international,
t Is astonishing how few profit by
hem or even cast more than pass
ng glance. In agricultural educational
Institutions the practice of the past
as largely consisted in demonstrations
8 to form, estimates as to quality and
ertain judging exercised. We have
cen content with attempting to dem.
nstrate to our classes that because
ertain animals possess certain feat
res of form and handling qualities.
hey will likely be possessed of Il GER
ain quality of carcass, and demonstra-
ions or iraccuracy of the conclusions.
! is true that few institutions have
resented slaughter demonstrations to
heir classes, the members Of which
ave been on-lookers, but this can not
upplant the instruction given during
everal weeks Of actual laboratory ,
'ork requiring the use Of the knife,
leaver, saw and scales in the hands of I
le students.-Prof. Shaw, in Kentucky
armer and Breeder.