The Oxford intelligencer., 1860-08-08
From the Cotton Planter and Soil.
To Save Bacon and Prevent Skipper

Dr.. CLouD-Dcar Sir Il have read an
article in the last number of your very val
liable paper, the title Of which is 1.-THE Skip
per in Bacon" by Thomas d. Candy, aa3 as
| think can impart valuable information on
this subject, ! have felt it to be my duty to
address You this communication.
There is, according to my experience, moth
ing easier than to avoid the skipper aud all
worms and bugs that usually inicst, and Of
ten destroy so much bacon. 1t is simply to
keep Your smoke house dark, and the moth
that deposits the egg will never enter it.
For the past twenty-five years have attend
ed to this, and never had my bacon troubled
with any insect. have now hanging in my
smoke house, hams, one, two and three years
old, and the oldest arc as free from insects
as when first hung up. am not aware of
other causes for the exemption of my bacon
from insects, Int simply the fact that my
smoke house is always kept dark. Before
adopting this plan, had tried many expert
mcnts. but ALWAYS either without success or
with injury to the favor of my bacon.
The above is all had intended to write
but possibly it would be of service to many
of vour readers that | should give my plan
Of putting IN and curing bacon. 1t is the
easiest and best that have ever triel, and
after long experience ! can say that none
can be better; and IFS simplicity should bc
great recommendation. | begin to Kill my
hogs as carly in the fall or winter as the
weather will permit, and finish about the first
of january. usually kill from thirty to fif-
ty hogs about twice in the week, if the wealth
er continues cold. never cut up or salt
down until the day after killing. then cut
up and salt down, beginning in one corner
of the smoke house. | put down first abcu;
two LAYERS of sides next to the floor, an thea
pat on the hams, and then the shoulders, fin
ishing with the sides. | make as compact
bulk as possible The next time Kill, |
make a similar bulk-Aeeping the first bulk
on one sidc-and so on, until | kill all my
hogs, which is usually from two to three
hundred. use salt freely, and put a small
teaspoonfull Of saltpetre on each joint. The
floor of my smoke house is of plank, and rails
ed about two feet from the ground. After
pork is put up in this manner, it ought never
to have the bulk disturbed for any reason
whatsoever. Let the weather be however
warm, don't touch it, or you may lose your
bacon. | have tried this plan for many
years, and have never lost a piece of bacon.
have. however, occasionally had a few hams
tainted because they were at the outer clge
of the bulk and exposed to the air. But !
never have had the centre of any bulA IHiaT-
ed. use salt freely, and let the meat lie
from three to six weeks, according to the
temperature of the weather and the size Of
the hogs. / smoke with green hickory-this
is important, as the favor Of bacon is often
utterly destroyed by smoking with improper
wood.
The above process viii make as good ha
con as ever was eat. Bv it Won viii retain
the flavor and juice Of the ham; and if your
/ hogs are good, the ham viii be equal to, if
not better, than the far-famed Westphalia.-
This Is nv opinion, and have never lad any
one to say he had eat hams better than mine.
Let your bacon hang until you cut it down
for use. Yours respectfully,
w. McNILLIE.
K1RKwooD, Miss. $50.