The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-09-29
THE RAZOR.BACK HOG.
Georgia and South Carolina Can Pro-
duce as Fine Hams as Firginia's
Celebrated Smi ilhfeld Variety.

The razor back hog OF the South has been,
after years Of sectional calumny ana lnlsreP
reseniation, vindicated supsr6ly by tne
limited States government. The asrlcultui al
department at Washington, in It's ouletlh
issues ~ and l3, pays noble tribute 10 the re-
nOWned Smitntisld, Virginia hams, and, incl
dentally. 10 the traditional fazod.oack razor hos'
from which they are manufactured.
The fame of the Smlthtield ham Is well eS.
tabIished, says the report, It's - Oily TRIVIAL
being the celebrated Westphalia nam, which
derived from u small town on Pagan creek,
about thirty miles from Norfolk, va. Its
reputation began about one hunursu y ears
ago with the hams cured by Mr.. Iodu, Vi
Smithtield. Its sale Is extensive, extenolhs
10 all the larger cities OF the Union where
good hams produced yearly 90 10 europe W
meet the demand of connoiSseurs Oh inc ola
world. Much of the product is sold Is Eng Eng
land and France TO private parties, VINO oroer
the hams "before The crop Is cured.
ut is impossible" says the report, " 10
make q good ham from Western hos. ~
has been tried. Western MANS nnt nav e,,Soni e
good result. Western pigs nave peen itn
ported and fattened AS we'll as cured a,
Snithfield, but all TO no purpose. Inc lneat
was unsatisfactory, being coarse cotnp
with the local product. Strange 10 say tne
auimal which produces the lncofnpaiap'e
"Smithfeld ham, is the "raZor-oack hos,
semi-wiid, triendless, not 10 say oalous' va
riety which is found In the mountains OF nir-
ginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. This variety
Is described as "long. nosed, slab-sided and
like a race horse" with legs OF extraordinary
length. 1t has bad name among FARMERS
who breed fine stock, but for ham IT has no
equal. r,;- o,,d
upon the curing OF hams: For a tlme IN tue
Youth OF the razor back" he is allowed IN
the summer to run wild in the WOODS an9
gain thus gamey flavor, when he Is turned
into the fields from which crops have oeeh
gathered, where he begins to fatten. VI lhls
f.ft p}nn rpDOrt SAWS.
''Iu the fall when the crop mas oeen gainereu
the hogs are turned into the corn neius. u d
these fields every other row has oeem pianteu
with black-eyed peas and the hogs are al,
lowed TO gather them and the small corn that
has been left In the fields. When turned lhto
these fields they are very thln. Inc ieeu
they get there causes them TO begin 10 1atten
rapidly. AS the potatoes are gatheIeo tue
hogs are allowed to follow IN these felds anu
get the small potatoes that are lett. In the
district which produces the most Smlthnelo
hams there are great many sweet potatoes
and peanuts raised and the hogs are allowed
free access 10 these fields as soon as the crops
are gathered. The potatoes, and particularly
the peanuts, add, fat with astounding rapldlty,
but ihe tat Is very soft. Peanut fat in partlc'
ular has translucent, Oily character, which
from Its tendency TO drip when the hams are
hung up causes great shrlhkage III Tue
weight"
fields the next step is 10 pen him up and give
him corn and plenty OF clean water with
this diet he fattens quickly TO the desired eX.
tent. The curing Is with the Liverpool salt
and saltpeter, altar which the hams are
washed clean and slowly smoked for forty
days with green hickory or red oak wood
Many farmers raise the hogs, but few cure
them. They are sold TO skilled curers, who
supply the market with about 5000 600 pounds
Ot nam yearly.
fthe agricultural department inspector who
wrote these bulletins had Investigated !ittie
more closely he would have discovered moi
only that the Incompatible razor-back hog
exists plentifully In Georgia and South Caro-
lima as yell as Virginia, Tennessee aud Ken
tucky, but that men in these States under
stand how 10 produce hams equal 10 the
Smtthfed brand. Virginia tries To get all o.
the glory for Picketts charge at Gettysburg
although Georgians were in the forefront o.
that onset. She has paramount reputation
for hams, but Georgia and South Carolina can
at least match her In that respect. In the ex
cellence. if not the reputation OF their pro
duct.