The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1897-01-11
THE SEIWEEKLY 0O DEMOCRAT TUESDAY JANUARY III. 1902
RAz,,RBAcK HAMS.
A Virginia Eelicaey That uss d "
Reputation.


A Virginia neiicaey That uss d t'id'
Reputation.
In the twelfth and thI ;eCn,h tn.
nual reports of the bureau Of NJ nal
industry of the departments q sri
culture high tribute is leid to the
Smithfield BAN, which is produced in
Virginia, in the couDti,s Of Ialc of
Wight, Surrey, Southampton and
NansCmond An insl ettor of the
department of agriculture has made
special study of its History and
preparation. The famo Of the Smith
field ham is well established, says
the report, its only rival cling
the celebrated Westphrlia ham.
which many consider ~ lie iutcli
or. =" The lame is derived from q
small town on Pagan creek. about 80
miles from Norfolk. Its reputation
began about 100 years ago with the
hams cured ly n II. Todd of Smith.
field. Its sale is extensive, extend.
ing to all the larger cities of the Un.
ion, and some of the 80, COO hams
produced yearly go to Europe to
meet the demand of conuoisseurs 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-
isfaotoly, being coarse compared
with the local product, Strange to
say the animal which produces the
Incompatible Smithfield ham is
the "razorback" hog, a semiwild,
friondless, not to say odious, variety
which is 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 it has no equal.
Much depends on the proper feed
ing and upon the curing OF the hams.
For a time in the youth of the "razor-
back he is allowed in the summer
to run wild in the woods and gain
thus n gamy flavor, when he is
turned into fields from which crops
have been gathered, where he be-
gins to fatten. OF this fattening
process the report says: "In the fall,
when the corn crop has been gath.
cred, the hogs are turned into the
cornfelds. In thoso fields every 9th.
er row has been planted to black
eyed peas, and the hogs are allowed
to gather these ard the small corn
that has been left il tho field. When
turned into these fields they are very
thin, The feed they get there causes
them to fattCn rapidly. As tho 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 Smithiicld hams there are
great many sweet potatoes and pea
nuts raised, and the hogs are allow
ed free access to these fields rs soon
as the crops arc gathered. The po-
tutoes, and particularly the peanuts,
add fat with astonishing rapidity,
but the fat is very soft. Peanut fat
IN particular has translucent, oily
which, from its tendency
to drip when the hams arc hung up,
causes great shrinkage in the
weight" D." After the razorback has
cleaned up tho fields tho 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 |
extent. The curing is with Liverpool
salt and saltpeter, after which tho
hams are washed clean and slowly |
smoked for 40 days with green hick-
)ry or red oak. Many farmers raise
the hogs, but few cure them. They
ire sold to skilled curers, who sup
ply the market with about 300, 600 |
pounds of ham yearly. Baltimore |