, 1861-02-07
AgticViiuFs.
Curing Hams.


The season Of hog killing is at hand, and
with hog killing comes ham curing. Nearly
every man has certain intallible rule for
performing this necessary and important or.
eration; and yet We doubt whether more
than half the hams consumed are what they
should Be. Why is it that one mans hams
ere tender, sweet, and juicy, while another's
taste much like the chips Of . pine salt bar
rel Is It all in the curing2 Why do we
find one lot pure aud sound in Az gust, and
another lot tainted nd wOrmy in Mayl Is
& all in euringl But sometimes two men
viii cure their hams in the same manner. and
one lot will be better than the other. How
shah We account for thisl Were the hogs Of
Tie slma qualltyl We're they all equally fit
for good hams l-that's the question. Now
We shall'lay down this rule, and we think
thpte viii be few exceptions TO IL: Where
the hogs ese equally good, and the hams are
not ne fault Is in the curing; but where the
hans are trcated in the same manner, and
I Gle not alike, the fault is in the hogs. And
now let ns begin at the beginning, and talk
over the matter in all plainness and SINGER
|V. HrhtN fsaii~
You cannot, with all your art and expert
eiiee, produce ~ sound, sweet and well.fa-
vorpd q piece of meat from q diseased ami.
nal as from healthy one-can yOui or
Course not. Now we are getting at the
bulldafiOn Of the whole matter. We know
hrmsfs who have not, from one years end
% smother, sound hog on their premises.
They have, 20 begin, twice rs many as they
ean feed. During the winter, their poor
little starveling shoats-intended for next
years hams-are turned out without pen or
shelter, with, one day, a mOuldy "nubbin'
20 each and the next day fast. To keep
themselves from freezing they resort to the
balnyard, and bury themselves in the dung
hill Some are sulEocated by the larger
one lying on them, some die Of starvation,
soma ol disease and In the spring rnisefa.
BE remnant come squealing firth, some with
thoir tails and ears rotted oil. other blind
and lame large proportion bald, hairless,
and nearly 81 of them covered with scabs
blacl as Tar, and from one fourth to halt an
inch thick. Are these p or, sickly, filthy,
soldering bfutes it Tor meat2 And because
people pannut make sweet hams from such
loathsome careazses. they lament their bad
luck a few mouths feeding won't cure q
diseased bog. aios 4 ani3sasetal
Haze not hundreds Of our (. readers been
panied By lnch sightsi Brutes Of this kind
bear solncely any resemblance TO decent
hoII They look more like overgrown por.
c1p|nts, nnIy not 50 clean. And yet these
11In. oat|calnres on swine are intended by
Their oNnars FIR nexf years pork, and the
Inr1o1I ones are 10 be sent 10 market. They
..-I... :. .....t.. ..ll...... y. =. a. -. 80
lhen are turned out into the hedges, lanes
ard highways % provide for themselves.
n. se1ience pronounced upon them is
Root. hogs or ilel", And 70 work they
CO. Every .hnig within their reach Is rooted
up and dc1|roye1. Half starved they are most
oI re time Dnder fences, between crooked
ra'|.| 1lnr 1li|ss through gates, bars. and
h1.0Is I1ly make their way. And then
Der. b caIl for Ball and Tower. II any
ca1 BE- Il|l. hey are torn od, The hams H.
tended 70 he sugar cured and delicious, are
1,1ffld and |acefhled BY dog.ieefh. Legs
aI1 broken BY clubs; ribs are knocked IN
b. ||'nos eyes are destroyed; and finally
I1..L remnants of what were pigs at one
TINA .|lol being tie osase Of many hg1ft
b1u|11S. and pelhap40 Of lawsuits, are mus.
taI.i |I|1 u lhs fllI-one.lourlh Of them
ro'| noIa sound animal len and crammed
into II|| pens without 1pors or roofs And
noT ~ ell1ning prucess oommences.i Rain
and uu1. md wind corn IN nblndanca, but
llIo4a into he nasty elush; slops poured
into u1r11lIo lrodahs, ofcner upside-dowu
lh.I 1II1f4It1 and tie whole mess-corn.
1|o1.. mad. oIIl|--aII mixed up together. Ii
> shameful. sc1ndaIous, wicked. For the
ri b. dsfa he animals greedily devour
ever. |I|||I ~ before them; but their appe-
l||l i I1o1 1one. and they VIII not hften.
@. |o1I hans b Manufactured out Of such
usIIII.'Il Aud have We 0vefdfawh the pic
lnII At1 there DOT iasl such hogs under.
|o'0I ne l1lloning prucess 10 every neiehbor.
koo1 |n he Wosff Having thus tried 70
1IoT how bad hams are made, let us describe
ul rIo(.ll q making good ones. 1
IIII. lflt placd. procure q good breed
Of Ior4 The en1olfs are desoFVedly pop
u|.f 81 aI1 ne Befk,hires 90 arc various
On 1rrc1I ard crosses. No difference, what
O. r1na - ihey possess good size, sulli.
c'10I U'1l1Ie a lean meat, a thin skin, small
bon1. disposition % eai grass and 70 keep
~ 01 h ihs0ueh the sumeisr, and will weigh
q Iln ofeIehieen months, from $50 10 400
Pounds. An old iarmer lately assured US
~ - IA bred uhirh answered allthese
lc.0|1.n.1I1-a mixture of The Gfass, the
C''0.. and ~ Bedford OF the second and
ih'II 1.1l q QnsrIlr. and of the first one
h4|I TA1y are beautiful, clean, white
IoEI a11 Ilcllned 70 stay at home. II they
b rIopll|y kepl, son will End under their
hair 81 ul||le ia clean q askin as under most
nrnI shirt. nis vile slander 70 say that
he I11 4 filthy aninnl. The truth is, he
\ .'..1|y-If yon peFrnt him 70 be 80.
And bow We have given basis for good
IAN. n sInnehl1rinR, use small rife ball