BRITISH BACON FAMINE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 830, 31 May 1910, Page 8

BRITISH BACON FAMINE.

BECOMING INTENSIFIED. The bacon famine in Britain is becoming intensified and the London correspondent ■of tho "Pastoralists' Review" states that provision dealers and • associations throughout the country are again raising prices materially. Statistics just published show that for twelve months ended December last imports of bacon fell by 53,01S tons, the grand total' from all countries being 231,270 tons. Of this 53,000 tons the United States accounted for 33,000, Denmark 11,988 tons, and Canada 12,218 tons. Strange to say, on the other hand, imports "from other countries" increased by 4656 tons. "Other countries" is the official epbeumism for China. The decrease from Denmark is; accounted for by the fact that the estimated .killings last" year were 1,800,000 ''animals, as against 2,169,370 head in : 1908.' There- is .every., probability that the present j high prices of bacon in: Britain will stimulate. feeding in Scandinavia to a much greater extent in the future than in the past, if that were possible. The American bacon imports up to the present arc scarcely • one-half of those of the same month last year, which accounts for the fact that. Cumberland cut, which it mainly sold in the Manchester market, is approximating to • Canadian Wiltshire, which.is shillings per cwt. better value. So far as Irish is concerned, says the correspondent, there is practically no ascertaining the"real' price. Shippers only accept "open" orders, and when ■ the invoices arrive in the hands of the . retailer the _ prices are sufficient to make their hair stand on end. There is very little profit for , them, let alone "a living-profit.'' As to the future, tho consumer cannot look to any. quarter for relief. It is very questionable whether, for some time to come, we shall, have a revival of pig-feeding in Great Britain. For the farmers, the high price of feeding stuffs, especially maize, is discouraging, and cottage pig-feeding, once a profit-' able source of income in Britain, is gradually dying out, especially in semirural districts, where it is voted n ■ nuisance by newcomers from crowded towns. British agriculturists lay a , great deal of blame upon the stringent regulations in v regard to swine fever.