The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-10-23

was not forced in? This was the iudg-
ment of the butchers of New York
many years ago, when they procured an
ordinance to be passed which prohib-
tied the "blowing" or rather "bloat-
ing" process.
Very much of the " enlarged plump
ness F" which the carcass shows is the
result Of this injection OF air, and per-
sons not familiar with the process are
apt to ascribe it to the superior growth
of the animal. But this effect is avoid
ed in America because it is supposed to
superinduce decay.
The process Of blowing off the skins
and hides may be thus described: After
the animal is dead small opening is
made at various parts of the body, al
ways on line where the skin is finally
to be cut In the first place round
iron rod, about three feet long and half
an inch in diameter, is inserted between
the pelt and the flesh, and showed in all
directions with view of making passa-
ges for the air. Then a pair of ordi-
nary bellows, made large and strong, is
used to force air into these openings;
generally one opening under each fore
leg will suffice, but if not other open
ings are made. The blowing up is the
work of only one or two minutes;
the effect is to bloat the whole
carcass to nearly double its natural
size, and what will seem unreasonable
is that this effect is continued long
after the bellows is withdrawn the air
does not leave by the passages through
which it enters.
When the carcass is thus bloated the
iron rod aforesaid or wooden stick is
used to pound the outside surface of
the animal, for the purpose of disturb
lng the ligaments which hold the hide
and the flesh. The theory on which all
this process proceeds is the same as
that known to exist in the peeling or
wringing of bark from the willow or
chestnut tree in the spring of the year.
A slight pounding or severe rubbing of
the outer surface will induce a separa-
tion Of the sap formation, and thus
limbs and branches of considerable size
can be peeled off. 1 doubt very much
whether the same effect follows in the
skinning of animals 1 knowit does not
to the same extent, for the knife is used
nearly or quite as much by the French
skinnerS as aOith as, with this differ
ence in France the surface of the meat
is sacrificed, and with us the hide.
This is the key which unlocks the secret
of all skinning of animals.
In all large cities of America the
butchers are tenacious of the appear
ance of their beef the outside cuticle
must be preserved. No mark of the
knife must be seen. But with the
packers the case is different and hence
their hides are much freer from flesh
cuts. Their beef is not exposed for
sale in the carcass. The butchers of
France, Germany, Austria, and Switzer-
land are unmindful to a very great ex-
tent how their outside beef surface ap-
pears. They always expose the inner
side to view, and dress this by overlay-
ing with fat in the most artistic man
Notwithstanding all considerations
but the preservation of the pelt. Of
course there are, for this reason, but
few cuts. Whenever a slip of the knife
is made it takes the direction of the
meat and not the pelt. The result is
that both hides and skins are freer
from flesh cuts than either in England
or America, where o different estimate
is put on the relative value of hides and
beef,