THE BACON PIG

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 27, 31 December 1925, Page 5

THE BACON PIG

ENGLISH REQUIREMENTS. The following extracts from a letter addressed to pig breeders and feeders by one of the leading firms of bacon curers in the South of England recently offer still further proof—if such were needed—of the superiority of large and middle white pigs for bacon production. “To compete with the very high standard of imported bacon it is necessary for the English bacon curer to produce better-selected bacon, and this can only bo done if pig breeders will study the requirements of the public.

“The requirements are a long side of bacon, with as much length as possible between the fore-end and gammon; back fat not exceeding ljin., but with good streak; ham well built, fore-end light, and the pig itself fine in bone with a small head and jowl. “The breeding is the most essential part, for, given usual meat feeding, it is possible to forecast tho proportions of the bacon sides. “To obtain suitable sides the baconcurers suggest first-cross pigs; a long Large White boar crossed with Middle White', Large Black, or Berkshire sows. Our experience as baoon curers points to the nearest ideal to be the Large White boar crossed with' Long Middle White sows. Pigs of this typo will always command top prices, and greatly help the curer to establish a big demand for English bacon.”

PRICE OF BUTTER. INCREASE IN SYDNEY. SYDNEY, Dec. 30. Following the introduction of the Patterson stabilisation scheme, the wholesale price of butter has been increased in Sydney by 18s 8d to 168 s per cwt. This price is to operate throughout the Commonwealth. —Press Association.

THE 1 MEAT TRADE. WAR OFFICE CONTRACT. LONDON, Nov. 21. The War Office meat contract for the Mediterranean Forces has been given exclusively to Australia. It consists of 460 tons of beef and 75 tons of mutton for Gibraltar, 1020 tons of beef and 180 tons of mutton for Malta, and 540 tons of beef and 60 tons of mutton for Port Said, for January-May delivery. The other countries which tendered for the contract were New Zealand, South Africa and South America.

During the last few weeks there have been several shipments of Canadian chilled beef from Montreal to Liverpool, and it has been marketed partly in London and partly in the North of England. The general opinion of those who have seen the Canadian chilled beef at Smithfield is that the chilling is perfect, but that the quality and butchering leave something to be desired. Even Argentine chilled beef, so called, sometimes has particles of ice on it. These have been entirely free from the Canadian consignments. Consequently the meat cuts as dry as home-killed, and is very useful to retail butchers. For the ox beef prices have been on a parity with Argentine, but cow beef has made a little less.

NEW ZEALAND LOAN AND MERCANTILE AGENCY CO., LTD. DIRECTORS’ REPORT, The following report by the directors was submitted to the annual meeting of shareholders of the above company in London on December 10: After paying interest on the first and second mortgage debenture stocks, making provision for bad and doubtful debts and other contingencies and writing £IO,OOO off premises as per account, there remains a balance of £141,889 14s Id; the directors have appropriated to the Staff Benevolent Fund £IO,OOO, leaving a balance of £131,889 14s Id. The interim dividend on the preference stock paid in June last has absorbed £25,000, leaving a balance of £106,889 14s id, to which has to be added the amount brought forward from last year, viz., £27,765 18s 9d, making a total of £134,645 12s 10d, out of which the directors recommend : Final dividend of 2£ per cent on the 5 per cent cumulative preference stock (payable less income tax at 2s 3d in the £) £25,000; dividend of 7 per cent (payable less income tax at 2s 3d in the £) on the ordinary stock, £70,000, making a total of £95,000, leaving to be carried forward £39,645 12s lOd. Messrs A. M. Mitchison and Clive L. Baillieu retire from office as directors in terms of the articles of association and, being eligible, offer themselves for re-elec-tion by the stockholders.