The climate of Canton is one not especially well adapted to curing meat. This is due to the fact that the temperature never falls below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, even in the coldest winter season. Further, this low a temperature is not maintained more than a few days of the winter season, and only at night. Before noon it usually rises to 50 or 60, following even the coldest nights. In spite of the fact that the temperature never gets very low, the work at the College has demonstrated that it is possible to produce good cured meat, if done properly, even without the use of ice. However there is some risk of the meat spoiling without ice, and it is recommended, especially in curing large pieces of meat, such as hams and shoulders, that ice be used to facilitate the cooling of the meat before the cure is applied. Origin of Meat Foods Man uses for his meat diet almost all classes of animal life. However, the principal classes of animals that supply the human race with meat food are: cattle, hogs, sheep, poultry, and, in China and southern Europe, the buffalo. In Northern China the camel and in Western China the yak are also used to some extent for food. Such animals as birds (other than poultry), rabbits, fish and other forms of water life, while of importance, do not provide as large a supply of meat food as do the domesticated animals mentioned above. Food Animals in China The animals in China from which the main supply of meat comes are swine, cattle, water buffalo, and poultry (including chickens, ducks, and geese). § 1. Hogs Hogs in China are of both the bacon and lard types. The lard type is the most common, except in the provinces of Yunnan, Szechwan, and some regions in central China, where the bacon type is found.