The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-12-11
Farm Miscellany.
KILLING, CUTTING AND CURING PORK.

1eCG nave alF6aQy app0dr6u III AAO
Progressive Farmer, but we think
the following, written by Mr.. Q. d.
Lyon, of Ohio, for Farmers Voice, IS
worth it's space. Mr.. Lyon says:
The writer has quite a good local
reputation as a farm butcher and
will give what he considers the best
methods of conducting the work.
We prefer to have the hogs kept
from food for twelve to sixteen hours
before killing, as it makes it much
easier to take out the %intestines if
they are empty.
Water may be heated in kettles or
by hard stones, preferably limestone,
heated to redness on a log heap. If
the water is heated in kettles Or in
furnace pans it is a good plan to use
a shovel full of wood ashes in the
scalding barrel, as ashes seem to
make the hair slip better.
Always knock the hogs down with
a hammer or shoot them down with
a small bore rifle before stick It
is more humane and hogs bleed bet
ter for it. If the hammer is used do
not strike too hard, and plant the
blow where lines drawn from eye to
opposite ear would cross shoot in
the same place.
The expert can stick a hog lying in
any position, but the beginner would
better roll the hog on it's back, catch
one front leg, put the point of the
knife down about three inches from
point of breast bone, with point of
knife directed toward the root of
tail /; push the knife in and with an
upward draw pull it out. 1t is best
to make a gOod-sized hole if hogs are
large or very fat, as in these it is
necessary to get all the blood quick
ly. We use a stiff knife made of a
bit of old ~crOss-cut saw it is m
inch wide, five inches long and has a
long slim point. It has been in use
twenty-five years.
Us a thermometer to determine
the proper temperature of the water !;
the range is from 100 to 1876 degrees,
but exceed the higher figure
or you are sure to set the scurf and
hair. We prefer about 40 degrees
for orr own work, and always make
good scalds. Scald the front end
first, and while at work pull the hog
up and down in the water, keepingi it
on the move all the time. This as
sists in cleaning off scurf and dirt,
and some think that if the hog is
taken from the water just after the
first plunge that the air causes the
hair to come off better, but l am not
sure on this point.
If the men who carry the hog to
the hanging pole will take two horse
shoes to grip by, they will find it
much easier than to hold on by slip
perry hands or wrists. 1t always
amuses me, by the way, to see pic
lures of farm hog hanging apparatus,
as such things r always slow and
cumbrous, and it is no task for two
men to carry a $50 or even 35O-pound
hog.
AS 500 Is the hog is hung up we
scrape it down, using hot water at
first and finishing up with two or
three buckets of cold water to whiten
and harden the skin. When the hog
is washed down and dry we put the
point of a stiff knife into the stick
ing hole and rip up through the
breast bone and ribs to allow any
blood to drain from the inside before
we remove the intestines.
Vita Il thin, narrow bladed knife
(ours was made from the heel of an
old cradle scythe) cut around the
bung gut until you have at least six
inches of it free. Split down until
you meet the upward cut made at
first and with the left hand support
ing the intestines, cut and tear every
thing loose from the back; leave
liver, lungs and heart in the carcass,
but take out the paunch with the in
testines.
After the liver, ETC., are removed
wipe the inside dry with a clean
cloth; we never use water on the
inside of a hog, and we do not follow
the old practice of at once cutting
the head half off from the front, as
this makes unnecessary bloody meat
that we would not have if the head
ere left on until the hog is cold.