Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1904-07-30
FARMERAND PLANTER.
BACON AND HAM.
Curips Meat Becoming One of the
Lost Arts Since the Packing
Houses Came IN.

Old-fasbioned ham, like SO many 9TH
err good things, threatens, under pre-
vailing conditions, to be added TO the
lost arts. Farmers, by the thousands,
Instead of curing their bacon, as in the
past have actually got TO depending
exclusively for their meat supplies up
on the packing houses. They buy The
saltpeter-burned, creosote-doped bacon
and hams that are put through by the
patent process in 4 few hours, and are
no more like the Old. slowly-cured,
carefully-smoked meat OF the country
smokehouse than fresh-pickled fruit -
like the h%and-painted variety. Who
calls for ham nowadays in a dining
car or cafe or al q hotel table? only
the man that has never tasted the kin
we used 10 have at home, where we
took time to cure and smoke them
right-the kind that makes YOU hun
cry to smell it cooking. This is a Sc
riols 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
ge%t-rick-quick methods prevailing at
the packing houses. All farmers should
resume curing their own meats, at least
enough for home consumption. and ii
will also pay to put propcrly-cured
meats on the market In competition
with The packing house denominations,
We verify believe that If a carload OF
frst-class Virginia hams should be
shipped to Chicago or indianapolis
and served on the hotel tables they
would prove a veritable sensation. The
poor, b~enighted guests would think
that 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, oyer-salted, creo-
soted and saltpetered packing house
| product. The Virginian ham has long
been world-famous, and that state I'M
dOubtcdly produces the best bacon on
| earth, but none of It is ever seen in
western markets. The best Is all con-
sumed in the STATE, and but little Is
| ever seen off tho plantation where IT Is
made. Thus is to pass that
people who live in the heart Of the hog
belt in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio
know not bacon at it's best. Go to an
old-fashioncd Virginia family, wait UNI
Ill you are asked whether you want
old or new ham. take a bite Of the
"slreaked middllug" served at dinner
with greens, or a pinch of hog 1owl,
and you will al once realize that you
never before understood what could be
made out of a hog. The best results
cant be obtained from great big, fat,
lubberly hogs, with thick ears, coarse
bones. rough hair, Weighing -four or
five hundred pounds. 1t is the Virginia
method Of growing the hog, as well
as their curing methods, which gives
the quality to the meat. The first con-
sideration Is giving him time to grow
The true bacon hog IS kept thrifty
until somewhat matured without be-
coming too heavy TO properly cure for
the table. A good bacon hog is neces-
sarily a s%low-growing hog.-American
Farmer.