Connecticut western news., 1880-11-24
THE FARM.

CONFERENCES THAT PAY.-On most farms only so many hogs are butchered annually as are required for home con- sumption. The bulk of the hog crop is sold on foot either to drovers or ship. pers. The fact that most of the pork raised in our country is killed and cured at the great packing establishments ac- counts in part for the fact that farmers even those who raise the best of hogs have few if any conveniences for butchering and are poorly advised as to best ways and means of cutting up, packing and curing the meat. The con- sequence is that butchering days are excessively disagreeable and disgusting ones to everybody concerned, and dread ed more than any other season on the farm. Now, while this work can never be rendered agreeable, small expendi- ture of time and money secures faclll- ties that greatly ameliorate its repulsive features and renders the labor compara- lively easy. It pays each farmer, whether he has few or many hogs, to pro-
 
 brels, scaffolds, sharp knives, etc. As soon as the hogs are sufficiently fattened every preparation should be made to take advantage of the first suitable weather for this most onerous of duties. Nothing that can be accomplished be- fore should be left to be done in the hurry and confusion attendant on butch ering day.
 A barrel or cask is very poor and in- sufficient vessel in which to scald hog. Something less circumscribedi is required for good work, to say nothing of the difficulty of keeping a sufficiency of water at anything like the proper tenn perature in it. A good scalding vessel within the reach of the average farmer consists of heavy box six or seven feet long, thirty inches wide at the top and twenty-four inches deep, with sides somewhat faring. This should be pro- yided with a sheet iron bottom we'll sup ported on the under side and set over stone or brick foundation in which there is chamber for making sufficient fire to readily heat the water in the vessel above, and by which it can be kept thoroughly heated for the length Of time required by any number of hogs. At its rear should be pipe or chimney, and the sides may be banked up with earth. On the bottom of the vat must be laid wooden strips on Q slated frame to prevent the hog from coming in direct contact with the iron bottom. When ] this or similar vessel Is not practica- ble, box sunk into the ground, O. a hogshead partly let into the ground and slightly inclined, will answer, though difficulty is experienced with such ar engagements in keeping the water at the right temperature. With the latter ar rangement a stout pole or rail scaffold sIoping up from the scalding vessel to a l height of three feet will facilitate the operation of lifting and cleaning the carcass. When the scalding vessel first described is employed it will be well to build strong platform about six feet wide and eight feet long on level with the top of the vat on one side, from which to scald the hogs, and upon which they are to be cleaned after scalding. At the rear end of this the ground should be graded up even with the. plat, form, or sloping platform built to ia. cilitate getting the hogs on to the main platform after they have been killed For convenience in lowering the hogs into and lifting out of the scalding water two or more ropes eight feet or so long are secured to the side of the platform next the water, and resting on these the carcass is lowered or raised with com. parative ease by two or three men. The posts or forks should be set so that 6 strong pole resting on them will be in part over the platform about six feet from the ground, and on this the hogs can be hung and slipped along toward either end out of the way after they have been thoroughly scraped and rinsed down.