The Lamar register., 1898-04-09
RAZOR BACK HANS.
a rFLIcAcY WHICH COME.
FROM VIRGINIA..
Eaten by European EpIcurss slow ms
sfueh- psspissd Animal Is F.stensa fos
the marlSet-Ths Curing Most Dell.
cate and sknifaI Operation.

s@<~ e~A' u opctatNDus
In the twelfth and thirteenth annual
reports OF the bureau OF animal IN
}dustry OF the department OF agrieul-
z|'ure high tribute is paid TO the
$rsmlihneld ham,. which Is prcducec
" virginia. in the counties OF Isle u
..Night. Surrey, Southampton and Nan
semond. says the Baltimore sun. an
inspecior OF the department OF Ssri.
snltuTe has made special ssuiy u
" History and preparation. The l.,ht
~ the smithneld ham IS wei estab-
Hehed. says the repurt, its only rival
eesns the celebrated westphaia ham
+. Nh!sh many consider 10 be inferior
.sIhe name Is derived from small
.town on Pagan eresk. ab6ut thifsy
miles from Norfolk. va. Its repnt8-
'ioh began about a hundred years aso
with the hams cured by Mr. rodd
Of smiihheld. It's sale Is extensive. ex-
tending to all the larger eitiea OF The
tnion, and SOME Of the 10000 hams
produced yearly Eo TO Europe to meet
the demand Of couaoisseurs Of the old
world Auoh Of the product Is solo
IN England and France TO private par
sses, who ar1er their hams before
the crop IL cured."
Western pigs have been imported
and fatiened as well as cured at smith
field, but the meat was unsatisfactory.
being coarse compared with the local
product Strange 10 say. the animal
which produces the iaeamp1rable
-smi,hheld ham Is the -ra=or- back
hos semi Wild. friendless. not 70 sry
odious. variety. which is found IN the
mountains OF Virginia. Kentucky and
Tennessee. This variety is described
as -loHg-nosed. siab-sidcd and Ike a
race horse" with legs Of extraordinary
length. II has a bad name among
farmers who breed hne stock. bu; for
ham It has no equal
Much depends on the proper feeding
and upon the curing Of the hams For
time in the youth OF the razor
back De Is allowed in the summer 10
run Wild in the woods and sa!p thus
gamy Favor. when he Is tuFned into
fields from Which crops have been
gathered. where he begins to fattsn.
OF this fattenlrE process the report
rays; In the fail, when the corn crop
has been gathered. the hogs are turn-
ed into the corn acids. In these tistds
every other row has been planted 20
bIack-eyed poss. and the hogs are
allowed to gather these and the small
corn that has been la.i In the fsid
Nhen turned into these fields they are
very thin. The feed they get there
causes them to begin 70 fattsn rapidly.
~ the potatoes are gathered the hosl
are allowed to follow in these helds
and get the small potatoss thai are
lee;. In the district which produces
the most SmlthGcid hams there are
great many sweet potatoes aud pea
nats raised. and the hogs are allowed
free access to these fields as soon as
the crops ARE gathered The potatoes
and particularly the peanuts add fat
with astonishing rapldity, but the fat
Is very soft Peanut fat In particular
has translucent. oily character
which. from its tendency 70 drip when
the hams are hung up. causes great
shriukage II the weight"
After the razor=bacS has cleaned NJ
the fields the next step Is to pen him
up and give him corn and plenty OF
clean water. With this diet he fat
tens quickly TO the desired ex.en:. TEs
curing is with Liverpool salt and salt
peter. after which the hams are wash
ed clean and slowly smoked for for
ty days with green hickory or red
oak. Many farmers raise the hogs.
but few sure them. They are sold to
skilled curers, who supply the maj
ket with about 100000 pounds of ham
searly.
The Arkansas Eazor7back is another
variety OF hog from which the finest
bacon is produced. This bacon sells
in European and northern markets for
from 25 20 s5 cents pound. 1t is
already sliced and sold in one pound
paper boxes.