Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-08-01

Only the man who has never tasted the
we took time to cure and smoke them
right-the kind that makes you hun
cry to smell 1t cooking. This is Sc
rious question and not merely one OF
sentiment, for the poor curing in the
packing houses has a disastrous effect
upon the demand, and consequently
the prices of hog products. 1t is not,
therefore, from mere sentimental rea-
sons, but for commercial and economic
purposes that we protest against the
get-rich-quick methods prevailing at
the packing houses. All farmers should
resume curing their own meats, at
least enough for home consumption.
and it will also pay to put properly
cured meats on the market in compe-
tition with the packing house abomina-
tions
We verify believe that If carload
of first-class Virginia hams should be
shipped to Chicago or Indianapolis and
served on the hotel tables they would
produce veritable sensation. The
poor. benighted guests would think
something entirely new under the sun
was before them. After they once
stuck their tooth in this morsel of the
gods they would never again be con.
tent with the coarse, over-salted. ere
osoted and saltpeter packing house
product. The Virginia ham has long
been world famous and that state un.
doubtedly produces the best bacon on
earth, but none of 1t is ever seen In
Western markets. The best Is all con.
sumed in the state, and but little of II
is ever seen OFF the plantation where II
Is made. Thus II comes to pass that
people who live right In the heart OF
the hog belt, in Illinois, Indiana and
Ohio, know not bacon at its best. Go
to visit an old-fashioned Virginia fam.
lily, wait until you are asked whether
you want old or new ham, take a bite
OF the 'streaked middllng' served at
dinner with greens. or pinch of hog
jowi, and you will at once realize that
you never before understood what
could be made ont of a hog The hest
results can't he obtained from great.
big, fat. lubberly hogs, with thick ears.
coarse bones, rough hair, weighing four
or five hundred pounds. 1t is the Vir-
ginia method of growing the hog. as
well as their curing methods, which
gives the quality to the meat. The
first consideration is giving him time
to grow. The true "Sacon hog" is kept
thrifty until somewhat matured with
out becoming too heavy to properly
cure for the table. A good bacon hog
Is necessarily slow-growing hog Nor
do the Vlrginians stlckle as to breeds.
They can make their fine bacon out of
any kind of hog. If allowed to look
after the breeding, feeding and curing
Even the old raZor-back, with his lean
frame and sharp snout, viii be chang
ed into hams and middlings to delight
an epicure. The pigs which come in
the fall are roughed through the mild
winter with little corn, foraging In tils
woods for most of their keep During
the following summer they range at
large in the woods, orchards and pas
lures. In the fall they are taken in
hand and given quick fat on corn.
little grain being required to fatten
them, if the mast and fruit crops have
been average. They will be about IF
teen months old at the time of slaugh-
ter and will dress out about $50 lbs,
Then the curing! 1t seems useless to
try to do 1t like the Vlrglnians. who
have a method all their own and pro.
duce results that have neversbefore
been equalled elsewhere. 1t is not
quick, but long process, extending
with the smoking over several months,
and If our Western farmers could get
a taste of the meat when it comes out
in the spring they would surely de-
sire to know how 1t is done.-Amer.
lean Farmer.