Home Pork Making Part 7

WILTSHIRE CUT BACON.

This cut (Fig. 34) is from hogs weighing about 150 lbs. Formerly the hair was removed by singeing, but this method is not so much employed now. The Wiltshire bacon is consumed almost entirely in London, Bristol and the south of England generally.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 32. AMERICAN CUT HAM.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 33. PICNIC HAM.]

STANDARD LARD.

The following is the rule in force at Chicago for the manufacture of standard prime steam lard: Standard prime steam lard shall be solely the product of the tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs and other fat parts of hogs, rendered in tanks by the direct application of steam and without subsequent change in grain or character by the use of agitators or other machinery, except as such change may unavoidably come from transportation. It must have proper color, flavor and soundness for keeping, and no material which has been salted must be included. The name and location of the renderer and the grade of the lard shall be plainly branded on each package at the time of packing.

NEUTRAL LARD.

This is made at the big packing houses from pure leaf lard, which after being thoroughly chilled is rendered in open tanks at a temperature of about 120 degrees. The portion rendered at this temperature is run into packages and allowed to cool before closing tightly.

Lard stearine is made from the fat of hogs which is rendered and then pressed and the oil extracted. The oil is used for lubricating purposes, and the stearine by lard refiners in order to harden the lard, especially in warm weather.

CHAPTER XV.

MAGNITUDE OF THE SWINE INDUSTRY.

Were it not for the foreign demand for our pork and pork product there would be much less profit in fattening hogs for market than there is, irrespective of the price of corn and other feeds. England is our best customer, taking by far the larger part of our entire exports of all lard, cured meats and other hog product, but there is an encouraging trade with other foreign countries. The authorities at Washington are making every effort to enlarge this foreign outlet. Certain European countries, notably France and Germany, place irksome embargoes on American pork product.

Ostensibly, these foreign governments claim the quality and healthfulness of some of the American pork are in question, but in reality back of all this is the demand from the German and French farmers that the compet.i.tion afforded by American pork must be kept down. It is believed that eventually all such restrictions will be swept away, through international agreement, and that thus our markets may be further extended, greatly benefiting the American farmer. Our exports of hog product, including pork, bacon, hams and lard, represent a value annually of about $100,000,000.

THE WORLD'S SUPPLY OF BACON

is derived chiefly from the United States, which enjoys an enormous trade with foreign consuming countries, notably England and continental Europe.

Irish bacon is received with much favor in the English markets, while Wiltshire and other parts of England also furnish large quant.i.ties, specially cured, which are great favorites among consumers. Some idea of the magnitude of the foreign trade of the United States, so far as hog product is concerned, may be formed by a glance at the official figures showing our exports in a single year. During the twelve months ended June 30, 1899, the United States exported 563,000,000 lbs. bacon, 226,000,000 lbs. ham, 137,000,000 lbs. pickled pork and 711,000,000 lbs. lard, a total of 1,637 million pounds pork product. On the supposition that live hogs dress out, roughly speaking, 70 per cent product, this suggests the enormous quant.i.ty of 2,340 million pounds of live hogs taken for the foreign trade in one year. Estimating the average weight at 240 lbs., this means nearly 10,000,000 hogs sent to American slaughterhouses in the course of one year to supply our foreign trade with pork product. The United Kingdom is by far our best customer, although we export liberal quant.i.ties to Belgium, Holland, Germany, France, Canada, Brazil, Central America and the West Indies. Total value of our 1899 exports of pork product was $116,000,000.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 34. WILTSHIRE CUT BACON.]

The enormous business of the big packing houses, located chiefly in the west, with a few in the east, can scarcely be comprehended in its extent.

Chicago continues to hold the prestige of the largest packing center in the world, but other western cities are crowding it. In 1891 Chicago received 8,600,000 hogs, the largest on record, most of which were packed in that city, and the product shipped all over the world. In recent years the Chicago receipts have averaged smaller, but the proportion going to the packing concerns remains about the same. It is estimated that the hogs received at that city in 1898 had a value of $84,000,000.

CO-OPERATIVE CURING HOUSES IN DENMARK.

About half the pork exported to England from Denmark is cured by the co-operative curing houses, established first in 1888 and since that date greatly increased in number. Enormous quant.i.ties of cheap Black Sea barley have been brought into Denmark the last few years, used princ.i.p.ally for fodder. The princ.i.p.al advantage of the co-operative system, doing away with the middleman, applies to these establishments. Farmers who raise hogs in a given district of say ten to twenty miles' circ.u.mference, unite and furnish the money necessary for the construction and operation of the co-operative curing establishment. The farmers bind themselves to deliver all hogs that they raise to the curing house, and severe fines are collected when animals are sold elsewhere. At every curing house there is a shop for the sale of sausage, fat, etc., these as a rule paying well and forming an important part of the profits in this co-operation.

HOG PRICES AT CHICAGO, PER 100 POUNDS.

Heavy packing, Mixed packing, Light bacon.

Year. 260 to 450 lbs. 200 to 250 lbs. 150 to 200 lbs.

1899 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 1898 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 1897 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 1896 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 1895 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 1894 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 1893 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 1892 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 1891 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

TOTAL PACKING AND MARKETING OF HOGS.

[Year Ended March 1--Cincinnati Price Current.]

Receipts.

Western Eastern N. Y., Phil.

Packing. Packing. and Balto. Total.

1898-99 23,651,000 3,162,000 2,978,000 29,791,000 1897-98 20,201,000 3,072,000 2,861,000 26,134,000 1896-97 16,929,000 2,791,000 2,950,000 22,670,000 1895-96 15,010,000 2,603,000 2,867,000 20,480,000 1894-95 16,003,000 3,099,000 2,517,000 21,619,000 1893-94 11,605,000 2,701,000 2,483,000 16,789,000 1892-93 12,390,000 3,016,000 2,790,000 18,196,000 1892 14,457,000 2,771,000 3,684,000 20,912,000 1891 17,713,000 2,540,000 3,713,000 23,966,000

RECEIPTS OF HOGS AT LEADING POINTS BY YEARS.

[Stated in thousands--From American Agriculturist Year Book for 1898.]

1897 1896 1895 1894 1893 1892 1891

Chicago 8,364 7,659 7,885 7,483 6,057 7,714 8,601 Kansas City 3,351 2,606 2,458 2,547 1,948 2,397 2,599 Omaha 1,605 1,198 1,188 1,904 1,435 1,706 1,462 St. Louis 1,627 1,618 1,085 1,147 777 848 841 ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- Total 14,947 13,081 12,616 13,081 10,217 12,665 13,503

[1]Cincinnati 875 823 773 639 592 587 816 Indianapolis 1,253 1,255 1,109 964 879 1,123 1,320 Cleveland 750 500 375 295 270 .. ..

Detroit 320 224 189 164 149 134 87 ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- Total 3,198 2,802 2,346 1,062 1,890 1,844 2,223

New York 1,578 1,845 1,763 1,656 1,488 1,826 2,177 Boston 1,420 1,435 1,400 1,673 1,373 1,636 1,473 Buffalo 5,621 4,941 5,256 5,626 6,058 6,112 7,167 Pittsburg 1,894 1,340 1,063 1,074 999 1,347 1,428 Philadelphia 250 278 259 280 275 337 377 ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- Total 10,763 9,839 9,741 10,317 10,193 11,258 12,622

St. Paul 225 314 364 327 194 239 263 Sioux City 350 279 341 499 329 413 397 Cedar Rapids 487 358 365 317 293 409 502 St. Joseph, Mo 400 193 252 398 240 289 178 Ft. Worth, Tex 114 141 60 .. .. .. ..

New Orleans 18 28 26 26 30 36 33 Denver 75 57 48 94 62 83 80 ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- Total 1,669 1,370 1,456 1,661 1,148 1,769 1,453

Montreal 93 89 74 87 70 52 43 Toronto 77 194 154 140 75 74 51 ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- Total 170 283 228 227 145 126 94

1889 1888 1887

Chicago 5,999 4,922 5,471 Kansas City 2,074 2,009 2,423 Omaha 1,207 1,284 1,012 St. Louis 773 652 772 ---- ---- ---- Total 10,053 8,867 9,678

[1]Cincinnati .. .. ..

Indianapolis 1,158 896 1,149 Cleveland .. .. ..

Detroit 114 21 49 ---- ---- ---- Total .. .. ..

New York 1,762 1,550 1,792 Boston 1,152 1,046 1,047 Buffalo 5,776 5,333 5,074 Pittsburg 1,205 1,161 1,259 Philadelphia 332 281 274 ---- ---- ---- Total 10,247 9,371 9,446

St. Paul 249 273 ..