THE BACON INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8056, 26 February 1906, Page 3

THE BACON INDUSTRY.

A SUCCESSFUL COMPANY. On Thursday last a, Nnws' representative paid a visit to (he fuglewood Co-operative Bacon Company's factory, with a view to learning, if possible, how it is that the company has been able to secure results so much better tuiin those of other co-operative and proprietary concerns m Taranaki. I'rom the investigations made, and information gleaned, much interesting matter has been pigeon-holed which w'H he of considerable interest to farmers and company directors when publishcd. Meantime it would be neither politic, or fair to bacon curers, were the common! to Ih> made m tins article, which will be devoted merely to the working of the Inglewood Company, without comparisons with any less fortunate, although no less important, concerns. Thursday was killing day, and no less than 143 prime baconers received

their quietus from the slaughtermen. Prior to the killing operation, the pigs are driven from the receiving yard along a race and over a wcigh-bridge and weighed alive. The live weight! less 27J per cent., represents the weight 'on which suppliers are paid. After killing, the usual cleaning and disembowelling processes are speedily completed, and the carcases are hung ou hooks from an overhead tramway, along which, when cool, they are run' into the cntting-up room. From there to the curing room is but the passing of a door. The temperature of the curing room is kept very low by means of refrigerator coils encircling it. The cure js that known as the " dry salt cure," ami the hams and sides are treated on the concrete tloor, which is Mumming in brine, the regulating of the strength and purity of which is a mosl important factor in the success or otherwise of the cure. No vats are used. Huge piles of the pork in difIcrcul stagei of curing are systematically piled up, being so regulated that as the ;:ew weekly supply comes in the ivivivri:; a batch of " cured " is iv. 1 !;• for removal by a passage at the lurther cud into the washing room, fhe hams are I lien hung up to dry for a short time pri»r to being transferred jo the smoke-house, vvhich has a capacity for about lo ) pi ; ., cs . sid( , s are made 11110 n,!L, or ollieriviso dealt Willi, accordiu; |„ ~:itlire of the market demands. .Small goods are manufactured 1.11 !i:e premises, a small, but complete, plant Wing installed! All the fat is rendered into lard, and packed in tins, bladders, cans, and wrappers. There is practically no waste, and it is proposed to instil a plant later to successfully treat the blood and other offal for manures. The company is extremely fortunate in possessing very cheap power, owning their own water-race and turbine, developnig 22 horse-power, at a cost ill interest and depreciation of only £22 per annum. Under ordinary circumstances relngerators are expensive machines to run, lmt in this case the rosl ol running the 3 horse-power is infinitesimal. The company also possess a crushing plant, in which corn is ground and sold to suppliers, for "topping olf" purposes, at almost cost price. Q.uile recently the company bought a fairly large tine of barley for this purpose, and il has nearfy all been taken by suppliers. The company lias a ready market, and so far has been almost unable to overtake orders. At present only a week's supply of' cured ' is in stock, but it is expected thai from now ou. ihe stoel; m store will be considerably augmented. By getting rid of tlie hams and bicon promptly. the loss in weight by evaporation is saved. This is a very considerable item, and in order that flu l shrinkage from this cause may be reduced to the lowest possible minimum, evil when the hams have lo be stored., it is proposed to shortly introduce a chilling installation into the storing rooms. Two purposes are thereby served—shrinkage in weight is obviated, and saltncss of the ends through dripping is rendered impossible. If only Is per pig is saved by maintaining the weight, it means at least £2OO additional' receipts 011 the Company's turnover of nearly tOlli) pigs per annum. The factory is a very complete one, and the directors seem desirous lo keeping the plant up to the latest requireiueiils of scientific nit-nig. Willi the assistance of a most competent manager (Mr Allan), and a keen level-headed Chairman of Directors, (Mr Arthur Morion) the Conipay has been most successful, both wilh regard to the quality of. its output, and 111 getting rid of it at remunerative rates. ( hie of the luosl serious causes of lo«* in Bacon Companies has been owing to lots ol bacon and hams going bad. Ihal nt course represents dead 10.-s. When il is slated that the lugiewood Loy. > lo>.ie.'; Iroui this cause do not average £LO a year, it will be seen lliat it is by no means impossible 10 overcome the vagaries of the Taranaki eliniale. notwithstanding all Ihal it lias bei-ii called upon to account tor 111 sunn- we know of. The secrel of the lugiewood Company's micccs., ..co'os |o* be du > iic'iuly In good, uuiluni!. curing, coii 'miksl willi cheap eo.it ol proil uel it iii, and the directors policy oi' farmers to feed I heir pigs well, and iheui liiiclieii has been reiiueed by tit ■ t'oniIp my lo a line act, we n.i ; i> ,■ an ilvsi. 11 liat" while liie ,-osl 01 .of :omc „i ! : he 'J'arauaki lacunae.-, sc. ■ U u Pis

per pig, Ingicnuud is only ;!s ;id. ISiinilarly calculating the wlioie of the cliiii'ges, |iie comparison is equally as striking, 2):; as against Us. Given a good cure and cheap production, there seems no reason why the experience of llic lii:;iewood Co-operaiivc Company sli.'iiiil net be repeated. The Company litis iiUut llnij shari:hohlers, and lias receiving stations at Midhii'st, Waitara ami ,l!uad.