The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-02-28

Farmers why Don't You Use Mechanical
a12pIianoes Tor This Pnrpose2

Farmers. Why Don't Xou Use Mechanical
Appliances For This Purpose9
There Is no necessity to have a crowd
of men about to kill and dress a few hogs.
There is NO reason why a farmer with
his dozen pigs may not make use of some
of the simple mechanical appliances that
are used by the great slaughterers. OF
course it is not suggested that he should
have any costly apparatus, but there are
some readily made devices by which one
man may do as much as three or four,
and, with one helper, the dozen pigs may
be made into finished pork between
breakfast and dinner, and without any
excitement or worry or hard work.
1t is supposed that the pigs are in a pen
or pens. where they may be easily roped
by q moose around one hind leg This
being done, the animal is led to the door
and guided into a box having a slide
door to shut 1T in The bottom of the
box is a hinged lid. AS soon rs the pig
is safely in the box and shut in 10y slid
ing down the back door and fastening it
by a hook, the box is turned over, bring
ing the pig on his back. The bottom Of
the box is opened Immediately, and one
SEXES q hind foot to hold the animal
while the other sticks the pig ia the usual
manner. The box is turned and lifted
off from the pig, which, still held by the
rope, is guided to the dressing bench.
All this is done while the previous pig is
being scalded and dressed, on at such
part of the work that as soon as one pig
is hung and cleaned the next one is ready
for the scalding.
The scalding vat is q wooden box with
a sheet iron bottom, so that 4 small fire
may be kept under it to maintain the
IL "a. II.e. & a.
grees F. or 50 c. Or the vat may be re
plenished with hot water from an adj
jacent boiler This vat is placed close
against the dressing table, so that the
carcass may be rolled upon a barred
table that is immersed in the hot water
the full depth. This barred table may be
made in various ways. Tt may consist
of Stats. fastened at each end and the
middle to chains by strong staples SO
that it is pliable, and the hog may be en-
braced by it and easily turned out of the
water by two short rope handles. or one
attached to a pulley block on a bar over
it,
As the carcass is dressed 1T is lifted by
a hook atthe end OF a swivel lever mount
ed on q post and swung around to the
hanging bar. placed conveniently. This
bar has sliding hooks, made to receive
the gambrel sticks, which have q hook
permanently attached to each so that
the carcass is quickly removed from the
swivel level to the slide hook On the bar.
The upper edge Of the bar Els rounded
and smoothed and creased to help the
hooks to slide on 80. This serves to hang
all the pigs on the bar until they are
cooled. If four persons are employed.
this work may go on very quickly, as
they may divide the work between them
and one pig be scalding and cleaning
while another is being dressed. The en-
trails should be dropped into a wheel
barrow as they are taken from the ami
NAL.
Where 10 or - pigs are dressed every
year it VIII pay to have a suitable build
ing arranged for it, An excellent place
may be made in driveway between
double corn crib, or ia a wagon shed or
an annex to the barn where the feeding
pen is placed. The building should have
q stationary boiler in 1T, and such appar-
atus as has been suggested and q wind
lass used to do the lifting. Henry Stew
art IN American Agriculturist.
$500 to $500 to loan. Benedict & Co.