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Otago Witness, Issue 2319, 11 August 1898, Page 5

times about 50 per cent, of the value of maize it is obvious how high the duty is, and how prohibitive must be its effect. The object is, of course, to benefit the farmers, but it is not very evident how this is achieved. Sweden grows mainly rye and oats, and of these the latter only is of much value as pig food. In 1897 the oat crop was a failure, and the feeders of pigs were stopped, as although there was plenty of separated milk, it would not pay to import other food in face of the heavy duties. Sweden, it may be observed, is noL a consumer of high-cla,-* bacon, the cheaper American kinds being the most readily saleable there, and the best quality of Swedish produce being shipped to London. Sweden can no longer export bacon ■with the present arrangement of the tariff ; the industry is a dwindling one, and must ultimately die out under present conditions. The exports of bacon from Sweden to England were— in 1894, 175,000cwt; in 1895, 191,000cwt; in 1896, 140,080cwt j and in 1897, only 70,000cwfc. In his paper on bacon-curing Mr. Louden M. Douglas gives the pig statistics of the Canadian provinces as furnished in the Census Returns of 1881 and 1891. From thei,e it appears that in the whole Dominion the numbers -were in 1881, 1,207,619; and m 1891, 1,773,850, an increase of 526,231 head. In Mr Douglas's opinion ib is safe to say that the coming rival of all other countries in the production of high-class bacon is Canada. The success of the dairy industries, the attention given to the breeding of pigs by the agricultural authorities, and the enthusiastic co-operafcion •of the farmers are alike contributing to this result. " pea-fed Canadian is fast displacing Danish bacon, and taking the lead in the British market. . . . It is said now that one establishment alone in Canada often kills as many Logs in one week as the whole of the Danish slaughteries." It seems a pity that farmers in this colony should stand indifferently by and see all this being accomplished. As a preventive for low prices consequent on glutted markets, tiie establishment of bacon factories on the cooperative principle has proved successful elsewhere, and would be easy of accomplishment here, were the project taken up by shareholders and contributors to dairy factories. We shall deal subsequently Ayith the constitution of co-operative associations in regard to bacon-curing.