Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1894-01-04
FARMER AND PLANTER.
HOG KILLING TIME.
Few Ideas on Strengthening Hogs and
Handling the Product.

Handling the Product.
II there is time in the year when
country houseleeper feels mere beset
and overrun than usual, it is at hog
killing time. The Strengthening OF hogs
brings about so much work (much of
it both troublesome and disagreeablel,
that it would be an intolerable
nuisance If they were not such service
able animals. 1t is remarkable fact
that every scrap of the hog can be
utilized; from the dainty hams, which
form its browning excellence, down to
the gatherings" which are eaten by
negroes, and considered quite a deli
cacy, but which are generally made in
to soap by white people.
In reference to Strengthening hogs,
the question arises, is it best to kill all
at once or only few at time? On
this point no absolute rule can be laid
down because circumstances alter
cases. My own experience, however,
leads me to prefer having few killed
at time, say two or three. BY this
plan you can use up the parts not in
tended to be sailed and put away be-
fore there is danger of their spelling
on your hands, ! mean the liver,
chine, spareribs and scraps If, how
ever, you live near town, boarding
house or boarding school, where you
can meet with ready sale for your
surplus fresh meat it is proba bly, better
to kill all, or the greater part of your
hogs at once.
1t is not desirable to fatten hogs to
an enormous extent for family use; it
makes the meat too gross. A $50
FOUNDER is good weight if you desire
nice and delicate meat. To secure this
you must also guard against having
your hogs too old. Do not let them at
tain more year in age. Their flavor
hinges considerably on what they eat.
A swill fed hog does not have as fine a
flavor as one that feeds on mast, clover
or grass and corn.
In handling pork, the most import
ant point is to manage the hams right.
First, rub the fieshy part of the ham
with powdered salt petre to give it a
pretty red color. Then salt it thorough
ly, and next rub it well with mixture
of molasses and black pepper. Some
people use sugar. but the molasses
penetrates better into the pores of the
meat. Pack the hams away in bulk,
skin side down and leave them undis-
turbed for six weeks. Then hang them
up and smoke them six weeks by a
smouldering fire of chips, hickory
chips preferred. At the end of this
time you may either bag the hams lin
stout, unbleached cotton) and hang
them up, or you may pack them away
in hickory ashes. The latter plan was
followed by many persons in Old Vir-
ginia, and in those days, we had the
finest hams in the world. do not re-
member that our hams were infested
with the shippers and other insects OF
which we hear so much clamorous
complaints nowadays, SO l car
but think that these were KEEP
off by the thorough smoking
ham underwent in those days. Ireally
do not think that smoking is essentia
to the flavor of hams, as | have TASTED
so many well-flavored ones, not smoked
since the war, smoking having faller
much into disuse with us, in the las
twenty-five years, but / can but thinl
it important as preservative agains
insects. Shoulders may be treated il
exactly the same way as hams
Whether you hang them up or pacl
them away, it is desirable to keel
them in cool, dry place, in spring anC
summer
Another thing think we had better
in old slavery times than now and tina
was sausage chopped by an AK, instead
of the modern machine sausage. II
this day, | know fastidious ole
Virginia gentleman who will not toucl
sausage unless he can get it, made
in the old-fashioned way. Memory
calls up pleasant picture of Draw
ny, stalwart negro man, chopping sau
sage with his AK, in my childhood, thu
foremost negro man on the plantation
WIN dlNdJS leu Uilt TOW VI WllcdU CTdU
lers and indeed, took the lead, in al
plantation work. But | must confess
the modern way of grinding sausage il
a mill is more convenient and suits tn,
times better. 1t is our best policy nov
to substitute machine work for hand
labor, whenever possible. BE careful
to remove all bones and skin from tn,
scraps intended for sausage-meat
as these clog and injure tn,
machine. One-third fat to two
thirds of lean meat is a good proper
ton for sausage. Season with salt
black pepper and sage. Put the sag
leaves in baking pan and let then
stay in the stove till crisp. Then breal
them up as small as you can and rul
them through SITTER which will re
duce them to a fine powder, suitabl
for putting in the sausage. If you de
sire to keep sausage till spring pack j
closely in a stone jar to within an incl
or two of the top, and fill this vacuum
with melted butter. In old times w
kept sausage by puttingit up in shucks
putting it in the places that had bee
occupied by the ear of corn, and tyin,
up the shucks tightly at the bottom
NJ. w. Early, in Home and Farm.
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