Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-02-04

SOMETHING ABOUT Pork We were re-
minded yesterday of how small portion of
the animal known as the hog is allowed to
bewasted, by looking through Rose & Prem
tiss' Packing Establishment, on Ontario
street. In the various parts Of the building
men are engaged in cutting hogs up into
mess, prime mess, hams and shoulders, curing
hams, packing, trying out lard, making
sausages, covering hams, &c. Even the erefuso
of the trying boilers, called " scraps, us sold
to manufacturers, to be converted into lamp
black.
Newspaper readers have heard mention Of
tines" and prime mess very often, and
have seen their respective prices quoted in
the market reports, and it has been nothing
but puzzling mess" to many Of them.
Very few could tell you what prime mess
consists Of, and an explanation may not be
without interest. In the first place the pigs
converted into prime mess must weigh from
one hundred to one hundred and Sixty pounds
each, and, 10 be in good condition, strictly
eOrn-fed or hard pork. Forth United States
Army the weight may be extended to one
hundred and seventy pounds. The head is
to be excluded, also the FIRE leg up to the
breast or brisket, the hind leg, including the
hook or grambrel joint, and the rump, if the
hams are not cut up with the sides.
A barrel Of prime mess pork consists Of
fifty pieces of four pounds each. If the hams
are cut up and put in, there mustno be less
than twenty three side pieces; if without
hams, not less than thirty side pieces.
The following are the directions for cutting
and curing: After the pig has been split
through the back, cut each side longitudinal
ly into two strips pack the strips into large
casks er vats, and ilIup with brine, having
saltpetre added at the rate Of one ounce to
three gallons of brine; leave the strips in the
brine for eight or ten days to extract the
blood, and for the lean meat to take pink
color.
When ready to be packed into barrels,
have each strip carefully cleaned, using a
knife and brush if necessary cut them into
four pound pieces as nsarly as may be
Mess (select the pieces as indicated, and
pack neatly and compaetly in layers, with
sufficient salt to preserve it.
The barrels should be tWenty-eight inches
long and seventeen and half inches over
the end when finished, made of seasoned
white oak, free from sap, full bound with
hickory or white oak hoops, and one iron
hoop one inch wide on each end next below
the chine hoop.
Mess pork leaves cut the hams, and is cut
up into much larger pieces than prime mess.
The term prime mess - is arbitrary, and is
not meant to denote " prime article, as
the word prime is generally understood. A
Boston firm, who recently had an order for
prime mess filed by Rose 4 Prentiss, fell
into the common error. Boston is not much
of pork market) They sent back word
that the pork wasn't " prime, ,"-it was q
poor mess, they thought.
The Government is buying great quantities
of mess pork. Proposals are advertised for
and the contract given to the lowest bidder
Rose & Prentiss recently had contract
awarded them Of furnishing the Government
with twenty tons of sugar cured hams, at 81.
cents. They have ten tons about ready fol
shipment. They are sent to Baltimore fol
army use. They are put up in tierces, eact
tierce containing from twenty-five to thirty
hams, and netting about three hundred anl
fifty pounds. One head is marked with ROs'
& Prentiss' brand, date of purchase, nun
Der Of pieces, gross pounds, tare and nett
The other head is marked "United State
Subsistence Department, Baltimore, Md. .
For fear of giving our readers " too pucl
pork, we will leave the subject here.