The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1881-12-10
Butchering Swine on the Farm.

On every farm where hogs are butch
cred annually it pays TO provide con-
venences for this disagreeable work in
form of suitable scalding vessel, gam
brels, scatfod and sharp knives. As
soon as the animals are sufficiently fat
tened every preparation should be
made, so that advantage may be taken
of the first suitable weather without
delay.
A mean daily temperature of forty
degrees is considered favorable by ex-
perienced butchers for killing the hogs
and curing the meat. The tempera-
ture, in word, ought to be low enough
to secure a freeze at night, with pros
pect for several days of clear, crisp
weather. A cold northwest wind. with
clear sky. indicates suitable weather,
but an east wind, no matter how cold,
implies an unsettled condition, with
prospect of moist atmosphere.
Hogs should be forced to fast for
about twelve hours previous to slaugh-
tering to assist in the process of "rid-
ding the lard, and only so many must
be killed at one time as can be properly
scalded before the blood becomes cold
and clotted When these are scalded,
cleaned and hung up another lot may
be slaughtered, and 50 on until the en-
tire number are dispatched. A mode
largely employed in butchering swine
is making an inc'sion across the neck,
Just in front of the breast bone, and in
serting the knife directly into the heart
and then turning the victim loose to
bleed and die. Some butchers, how
ever, do not consider it desirable to
pierce the heart, but prefer to let the
animal die from loss of blood which it
will do in the space of about five min
utes Z it has been properly stuck. A
plan suggested by Coburn is to turn the
animal square on its back. with the head
held firmly. so that the operator will be
sure tC sever the main arteries without
permitting the knife to penetrate or in
jure either shoulder. Knocking on the
head with an AK, practiSed by some. is
objected to by others on the score that
it bruises and otherwise INJURIES the
brain. which is considered u delcacy.
In scalding, the animal is immersed
in vessel of hot water for few sec
ondS and then by means of rope or 9TH
or continuance raised out of the water
to allow the air to strike it thoroughly,
and then immersed again. SO soon as
the hair leaves the skin, especially on
the head, legs and feet, the carcass
should be removed from the water at
once and speedily stripped of its hair
Sharp knives must now follow, scrap
ing every part from the head towards
the tail the way the hair grows; the re-
verse motion of the knife is TO be avoid
ed or the warm, soft skin will be cut.
When this has been done the hind legs
can be freely cut into below the gambrel
Joint to reach both main cords, under
which the gambrel should be entered.
The gambrel should be of some strong
wood and from twenty-four to thirty
inches long, according to the size of the
carcass. If it be nOtched on the upper
side of each end it will prevent the an
novance of the legs slipping of. Posts
or forks may be so set that a strong
pole resting on them will be in part
over the platform, about six feet from
the ground, and on this the carcasses
can be hung and slipped along towards
either end out of the way after thev
have been thoroughly scraped and
washed down with warm water.
Some one familiar with the work
should open the carcass, and farmers
ISuorduI vi lHlS operation are ADVISED
to learn it from an expert. After re-
moving the intestines the mouth ought
to be propped open and all the blood
carefully washed out with cold water
from the mouth, neck and the interior
OF the carcass. The next and an all
important point is to allow the carcass,
well spread on the gambrel, to hang
until relieved of animal heat. 1t must
la h.,.. |, L., i III
insure successful curing. NJ y World.