The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1909-03-15
LIVE STOCK
LARD OR BACON HOGS.

Under the heading Lard VS.. Bacon
Hogs" Prof. J. J. Ferguson, formerly
connected with the Animal Husbandry
Department of Michigan Agricultural
College and Experiment Station, has
written an article from which we take
the following extracts:
Contrary to the opinion of some
breeders who have handled lard hogs,
there is no competition between the
two classes The place and value OF
lard type hogs have been established
beyond question. For corn belt con-
ditions they have been and doubtless
will continue to be the most profitable
type to produce; but these men should
remember that this country is large
and conditions are so diversified that
other sections outside the corn belt
produce crops of vastly different
character. The prudent stockman al
ways shapes his live stock operations
to meet conditions in the section
where he lives.
The land hog is the result of corn
belt conditions; placed under different
conditions he would in few genera
lions evolve into types widely different.
In the northwestern states where corn
is not as profitable as other crops, but
where wheat, oats, peas and barley
can be grown most successfully, and
where there will always be consider
able quantities of mill by-products and
low grade coarse grains unfit for mar
ket, it seems like good policy to handle
the kind Of animals which will produce
the maximum profit from these feeds.
This difference in natural food supply
has already led Wisconsin and Mime
sofa to become leaders in dairy produc-
ton. Fortunately in these states, as
in Denmark and Canada, dairying and
production of bacon hogs can be fol-
lowed as a profitable combination.
It has been generally supposed that
Ireland, Sweden and Denmark have
been the great centers Of production
for the bacon that the English market
is receiving, but, contrary to this gen.
eral supposition, it was reported by
authorities during the last summer
that most of the bacon now imported
by the English dealers is the American
product
There are several we'll established
breeds of bacon swine. So far no
breed has had a monopoly of quality.
We are inclined to rate the leading
breeds in order named: Large York
shires, Tamworths, Berkshires.
Pure blood is not essential to the
bacon business. Some of the best ba-
con hogs coming to our markets are
grades of the breeds named. Other
things being equal, it will pay to use
pure bred sires of these breeds to in
sure bacon quality. The chief essen
tials in good bacon hogs, regardless OF
breed, are the right weight, with an
absence of surplus fat and good de-
velopment Of lean meat. To quote
from former description Of mine:
An ideal bacon hog must be smooth
and even throughout with uniform COW
ering. The back should have an even
covering of fat running from three
quarters to one and one-quarter inches
in thickness, evenly laid from the
crest of the neck to the tail head, and
not thickening into heavy patch be-
hind the shoulders or over the loins.
The hams should be fairly heavy in
proportion to size and weight, and the
shoulders light and trim, laid in
smoothly with neck and body. Bone
should be Of good character with suffi-