The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1898-02-26
CALIFORNIA re SNRUp co.
SAN FRANCISCO. Cal.
IOUI9YulE H. EEtY HO2K NY
RAZOR-sACk HAMS.
A Virginia DeIicacY That Has q Wide
ReDAtAtIOn.

A virginia DeIIcacy That Has q Wide
RePHtAtIOn.
In the twelfth and thirteenth annual
reports of the bureau of animal indus
try of the department OF agriculture
high tribute is paid 10 the Smith
field ham," which is produced in Vir-
ginia, in the counties of Isle OF Wight,
Surrey, Southampton ard Nansemond.
An inspector Of the department of agri-
culture has made q special study OF
its history and preparation. The fame
of the SmithfieId ham is well estab-
lished, says the report, its only rival"
being "the celebrated Westphalia ham,
which many consider 10 be inferior"
The name is derived from a small town
on Pagan creek about 30 miles from
Norfolk, Va. Its reputation began
about a hundred years ago with ths
hams cured by u Mr.. Todd, OF Smith
field. It's sale Ia extensive, extending
to all the larger cities of the union, and
some OF the $4,000 hams produced year
Iy go to Europe 10 meet the demand OF
connoisseurs of the old world. Much
of the product 10 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 a. cured at Smithfield.
but the meat was unsatisfactory, being
coarse compared with the local product.
Strange to say. the animal which pro-
duces the incompatible "Smithfeld
ham" is the "razor-back" hog, a semi
wild, friendless, not to say odious, va
r1ety, which Is found in the mountains
of Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Thisvariety is described as "long-nosed,
sIab-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.
Much depends on the proper feeding
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 a gamy
flavor. when he Is turned into fields
from which crops have been gathered,
where he begins to fatten. Of this fat
tening process the report says: "In the
fall, when the corn crop has been gath
| cred, the hogs are turned into the corn
| fields. In these fields every other row
has been planted to black-eyed peas,
| and the hogs are allowed 10 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 causes them 20 GIN "a
fatten rapidly. AS the potatoes afh
gathered the hogs are allowed to fol-
low in these fields and get the small
potatoes that are left In the district
which produces the most Smitbfield
hams there are great many sweet po-
tatoes and peanuts raised, and the hogs
are allowed free access to these fields
ns soon as the crops are gathered. The
potatoes, and particularly tine peanuts,
add fat with astonishing rapidity, but
the fat is very soft. Peanut fat In par
tlcular has a translucent, oily charac-
ter, which from its tendency to drip
when the hams are hung up causes .
great shrinkage in weight" After the
razor-baclc has cleaned up the fields
the next step is to pen him up and give
him corn and plenty of clean water.
With this ciet he fattens quickly to the
desired extent. The curing is with Liv-
erpool salt and saltpeter, after which
Ehe hams are washed clean and slowly
smoked for 20 days with green hickory
or red oak. Many farmers raise the
hogs, but few cure them. They arc
sold to skilled curers, who supply the
market with about 100000 pounds of
ham yearlV-BsltimOrc Sun