The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1873-06-25
Now to Have Good Wholesome Pork.

which, as agrlculturlsts, we must &C
cord a very high economical impor
lance is the hog. He holds an hon
ored place in every civilized commu
nifty as soon as he is dead, though
while living, he is stigmatized as the
very type of uncleanliness, and sur.
rounded with disgusting associations.
The hog has the reputation Of being
dirty fellow, but we should remem-
Der that he likes to be dirty in his
own way. and for his own pleasure ;
he neither prefers TO live in cold
filth, or to eat it,
Good, sweet bacon il always de-
sirable, and can be obtained by Ia
king a little pains on the part of
those who feed and cure their own
meat.
A hog will thrive according to the
feed you give it. It will make pork
according to the quality of the food.
Thus corn is better than other grain !;
old corn IS better than new corn
Beachnuts will make a soft oily
pork the acorn bitter, it is said !;
and we know that it is matter Of
world wide notOriety that ofal spoils
pork.
How is it then with the pen, reek-
ing constantly with odors, the hog
wallowing in its own filth
Here is an aspect that we over
look. There is more or less of the
excretia of the animal taken with its
food. Sometimes, and this we have
seen often, the trough is watered
and lined with it, the animal urina-
ting in the trough.
Now all this has a decided effect
upon the pork, which is from neces-
sity more or less tainted with it
We are not eating good pork. We
are not keeping it we'll; such pork
will not keep. The difficulty is laid
to the putting down, or to some
other cause. when it is in a great
measure, and sometimes wholly ow-
ing to the manufacture the putres-
cent matter is absorbed in the feed
ing.
To prevent all this, or at least in
a great measure, SO as to get fair,
and what we may deem a good quail
ity of pork, there must be cleanli-
ness. And the hog has still some Of
the original politeness left which no
doubt distinguished him ere he had
taken to the ditch. lie will select
clean dry place; and it is this trait
that must be taken advantage Of
He must be permitted to have q
place where he can be clean and
dry, but also cool, or he will wallov.
A separate apartment to sleep or
rest in is the surest way. He will sell
dom foul his sleeping apartment,
particularly if straw is put in and
changed as often as required. This
he will have as his parlor And it is
your business to see that the other
compartment is kept free from odors
and moisture this by using absor-
bents. Dried muck is a common re-
sort. Dried saw-dust is also good
and even ground-anything that will
take up odors and moisture. Use
ground that is dry, or dust from the
road
In fattening our hogs for several
years we have adopted the following
plan: Everything fed to our hogs,
while fattening, is cooked, but moth
ing is ground. To one hushel and a
half of potatoes (washed) we add
three pecks of dry corn in the kerr
mel, and then with a liberal supply
OF water in a kettle almost steam
tight, we cook for at least three
hours. The kernels are then three
or four times their original size, and
the potatoes are mush; and when
thoroughly mixed the dish is as ac-
ceptable as can be presented to a lot
OF fattening hogs. And as every
particle of the food is tor can be- re-
duced to a paste by the slightest
mastication, much more by the ac-
ton of the stomach, there can be
little if any loss.
An addition of few quarts of
rye and an occasional peck of oats,
making a little variety, is always a
judicious plan; either of which are
as easily cooked as the heavier and
larger kernels of corn. Fed in this
way, there will be little difficulty
about keeping your pork. 1t will
almost keep itself. and it will be
sweet, and solid, and healthy.
Kill your hogs the very first cold
spell after the middle of November.
1t is a mistaken idea, that to save
your pork you must have extreme
cold weather. Pork should never
freeze after killing. You can never
make good bacon of frozen hogs.
If the weather is sufficiently cold to
form ice, if only one-fourth of an
inch thick, it is cold enough. Kill
in the morning, and clean well, wash