The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1897-01-18
RAz,oRsAck hAMs.
4 Virginia Deiicaoy That Has . WI
Reputation.

a Virginia Delicacy That Has . Wide
Reputation.
In the twelfth and thirteenth an
nual reports of the bureau of animal
industry of the department of agri-
culture high tribute is paid to the
Smithfield ham, which is produced in
Virginia, In the counties of Isle of
Wight, Surrey, southampton and
Nansemond. An inspector of the
department of agriculture has made
special study of its history and
preparation. The fame of the Smith
field ham Is we'll established, says
the report, its "only rival" being
"the celebrated Westphalia ham,
which many consider to be inferi-
Or" The name Is derived from a
small town on Pagan creek, about 30
miles from Norfolk. Its reputation
began about 100 years ago with the
hams cured by Mr.. Todd of Smith
field. Its sale is extensive, extend
ing to all the larger cities of the I'm
ion, and some of the 10000 hams
produced yearly go to Europe to
meet the demand of connoisseurs of
the old world. Much of the product
is sold in England and France to
private parties, who order their
hams before the crop is cured"
Western pigs have been imported
and fattened as well as cured at
Smithfeld, but the meat was unsat-
isfactory, being coarse compared
with the local product. Strange to
say, the animal which produces the
incompatible smithfield ham is
the "razorback" hog, semiwild,
friendlese, not to say odious, variety
which ia found in the mountains of
Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee.
This variety Is described as "long
nosed, slabsided and like race
horse" with legs Of extraordinary
length. 1t has bad name among
farmers who breed fine stock, but
for ham 1t has no equal.
Much depends on the proper feed
ing and upon the curing of the hams
For time in the youth of the "razor-
back" he is allowed in the summer
to run wild in the woods and gain
thus gamy favor, when he is
turned into fields from which crops
have been gathered, where he be-
gins to fatten. OF this fattening
process the report snys: "In the fall,
when the corn crop has been gath
cred, the hogs are turned into the
cornfields. In these fields every 9th
or row has been planted to black
eyed peas, and the hogs are allowed |
to gather these and the small corn
that has been left in the field. When
turned into these fields they are very
thin. The feed they get there causes
them to fatten rapidly. AS the po-
tatoes are gathered the hogs are al
lowed to follow in these fields and |
get the small potatoes that are left.
In the district which produces the
most Smithfield hams there are a
great many nweet potatoes and pea
nuts raised, and the hogs are allow
ed free access to these fields as soon
as the crops are gathered. The po-
tatoes, and particularly the peanuts,
add fat with astonishing rapidity,
but the fat lie very soft. Peanut fat
IN particular has translucent, oily
which, from its tendency
10 drip when the hams are hung up,
great shrinkage in the
weight" After the razorback has
up the fields the next step is
10 pen him up and give him corn and
plenty Of clean water. With this
liet he fattens quickly to the desired
,Itent. The curing is with Liverpool
,alt and saltpeter, after which tho
hams are washed clean and slowly
.moked for 40 days with green hick-
Dry or red oak. Many farmers raise
The hogs, bat few cure them. They
are sold TO skilled curers, who sup
ply the market with about 800, ,000
pounds Of ham yearly.-Baltimore
Sun.
fOUNG LOVES AWAKENING.