The Grit-advocate., 1906-01-12
Killing and Dressing Cattle.

Killing and Dressing Cattle.
Where much meat is prepared
for use on the farm it will be
best to provide such tools as are
necessary. Get seven-inch curved
skinning knife. a meat saw and
block and tackle with six
inch pulleys. Have the tackle sus-
pended from the limb of tree or some
cross beam. Secure the animal by
means of rope so that it cannot get
away and stun completely by heavy
blow with an ak, or shooting has the
same effect. Bleed by sticking the
breast bone. Lay open the skin from
the breast bone, ten or twelve inches
toward the chin. Insert the knife with
back toward the breast bone and point
OF knife toward the spinal column at
top of shoulders. Cut Just under the
windpipe and about five or six inches
deep the vein and artery which cross
at this point, and If they are severed
the blood will flow out very rapidly.
Not as much skill is required to cut
the animals throat back of the jaws,
but it Is at the expense of quick bleed
ing. Begin skinning as the carcass
lies on its side by splitting the skin
through the center OF the face from
poll to nose. Skin the face over the
eyes on both sides and down over the
cheeks and cut around the base Of
the horns, leaving the ears on the
hide. Split the skin from the chin
down the throat to breast bone. Skin
on the sides of the neck and down to
jaws. Remove the head by cutting
just back of the jaws toward the de-
preston back of poll. 1t may be easily
unjointed with the knife. Roll the car
cass on its back and it may be held
in place by chunks of wood placed on
each side of the shoulders Or by stick
three feet long sharpened on end and
inserted in the side of the briSket and
the other end in the ground. Split the
skin over the back of forelegs from the
dew claws to the back of the knee.
Skin around the knee and shin and
unjoint the knee at lowest joint clear
down to the hoof. Cut across the cord
of hind foot to relax the foot. Split the
skin from dew claws to the hook. re-
moving the leg at the lowest joint Of
the hook. Split the skin over the
thigh. from hook to center line , OF
udder. After legs are skinned. split
the skin over middle line from breast
to rectum. Begin at the flanks and
skin along the mid-line until the side Is
nicely started, then remove the skin
down over sides. holding skin up tight
with left hand and with steady down
strokes of knife with other hand skin
down as far as possible on each side
and also buttocks. Open the carcass
at the belly with knife. Open the
brisket and pelvis with a saw or sharp
ak. Now raise the carcass by your
block and tackle to convenient
height and remove the hide over the
thighs, rump and hips. While in this
position loosen rectum and small in
testines and let them drop down over
tho paunch. The intestines are at
tached to the liver, from which they
may be separated with knife. Re-
move the paunch and raise the carcass
higher. Take out the liver, lungs and
heart and finish skinning over the
shoulders, arms and neck. Split the
carcass in halves with saw. il one
can be had, or use a cleaver or sharp
ak. Wash the carcass thoroughly and
wipe dry. Leave the beef to cool be.
fore quartering.-E. Myer, Tarrant Co.,
Texas, in Farmers Review.