The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1898-01-11
RAZ,)RBACk HAMS.
a Virginia relicecy Thai Has Uid'
Reputation.


A virginia peiicacy Tia. Has = Uid'
Reputation.
In the twelfth aid tljvtctN.h an.
nual report of the bureau of animal
industry of the department Of a sri
culture a high tribute is paid 80 the
Smithfield ham. which r. PRODUCED in
Virginia, in the counties of Isle of
Wight, Surrey, Southampton and
Nanscmond An inspector of the
department of agriculture has made
special study of itA history and
preparation. The fnmc OF the Smith.
field ham is well established. says
the report its only rival" tcinp
1.-THE celebrated Westllhplia ham.
which many consider Ia bc ihfcri
or" The name IL derived from Il
small town on Pagan creek, about 80
miles from Norfolk. Its reputation
began about 100 years ago with the
hams cured by a Mr.. Todd of Smith
field. Its sale Is extensive, extend
ing to all the larger cities Of the Un-
ion, and some of the 80, 600 hams
produced yearly 60 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 tho 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,
friendless, 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 a 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 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: I'm 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 tho 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 fattcn rapidly. AS tho pc.
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 Smlthfiold hams there are u
: great many sweet potatoes and pea
nuts raised, and the hogs are allow.
ed free access to these fields as soon
: rs the crops are gathered. The po.
tatoes, and particularly the peanuts,
add fat with astonishing rapidity,
but tho fat is very soft. Peanut fat
in particular has translucent, oily
character, which, from its tendency
to drip when the hams are hung up,
causes great shrinkage in the
weight" After the razorback has
1 cleaned up tho fields the next step is
to pen him up and give him corn and
plenty of clean water. With this
diet he fattens quickly to the desired
extent. The curing is with Liverpool
salt and saltpeter, after which the
hams are washed clean and slowly
smoked for 40 days with green hick
ory or red oak. Many farmers raise
the hogs, but few cure them. They
are sold to skilled curers, who sup
ply the market with about 800, 00(
Il