The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1905-12-06
Meat on the Farm.

fresh meat and where no supply GILL pe
had. unless the neighbors do their own
butchering Where the neighbors
wish TO club together and have sup
DIV of fresh meat regularly, it would
be well to hire the services of a pro-
fessiOnal butcher for one or two kill
ings and take lessons from him.
Where this is impossible, the follow
ing directions from the Florida Fruit
and Truck Grower will give very
good idea of the best methods, follow
ing which, in practice will soon enable
YOU to do the work as well as an ex-
pert.
1t is important that an animal in
tended for slaughter should be kept |
off feed for from twenty-fOur to thirty
six hours. If kept on full food, the
system is gOrged and the blood loaded
with assimilated nutrient is driven |
to the extremities of the capillaries. |
In such "a condition it is impossible
to thoroughly drain out the veins when
the animal is bIed. and reddish
cOlOred. unattractive carcass will be
the result. Food in the stomach de-
cOmpOses very rapidly after slaughter,
and where the dressing is slow the
gases generated often flavor the meat
Water should be given freely up to
the time of slaughter as it keeps the
temperature normal and helps to wash
the effete matter out of the system,
resulting in nicely favored carcass.
The care of animals previous to
slaughter has considerable effect on
the keeping qualities of the meat
1t is highly important that they be
not excited i'm any way sufficient to
raise the temperature of the body Elk
element prevents drainage of blood
vessels, and if extreme will cause
sOuring of the meat very soon after
dressing In no instance should an
animal be killed Immediately after q
long drive or after a rapid run about
the pasture. If heated by such cause.
it is far better to allow it to rest
over night before killing than to risk
the meat spelling The flesh of an
animal that has been overheated is
usually of a pale color and very often
develops a sour or putrid OdOr within
three Or four days after being dressed
1t is also essential that the animal
be carefully handled so as not to
bruise the body. Bruises cause blood
to settle in that portion of the body
affected, presenting an uninviting ap-
pearance, and often cause the loss of
considerable portion of the carcass.
A thirty-fOur hour fast, plenty of
water. careful handling. and rest be
fore slaughter are all important in
securing meat i'm the best condition for
use. either fresh or for curing pur-
pOSes.-Andrew Boss. of the Univer-
Sity of Minnesota. in Bulletin of T. s.
Department of Agriculture
Where much meat is prepared for
use on the farm, it will be best to pro-
vide such tools as are necessary for
the rapid prosecution of the work A
finch curved skinning knife at 81
cents. an S-inch straight sticking knife
at 30 cents. 14-inch steel at 81 n %
inch meat saw at 50 a candIestick
Scraner at % cents and an axe are all
of the tools really essential TO raDid
dressing. Some means of raising the
carcasses of beef from the ground or
floor and a place to hang the lighter
animals shOnld also he provided What
these arrangements shall be denende
largely on the amount of work to be
done and the circumstances \ block
and tackle with G-inch pulleyS will
answer the purpose very well In its
s...rTc -,