Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-08-18
CURING OF RAzORBACkS
Woman Who Has Made u
Success of Putting Out Good
Hams Tells About 1t.

Miss Mary ii. Smith OF Maryland
has for the last five years supported
herself and her invalid mother by
selling hams and bacon of her own
raising and curing She owns small
farm just across the line from the
District OF Columbia ANA disposes OF
her sugar cured meat to private Gus
toners In Washington and Baltimore.
We live simply but comfortably
and at the end of each year there is
always something to lay by against a
rainy day. Miss Smith replied when
asked about her success. 81 now
have 4GS hogs for my next seasons
killing. Three years ago had sol
and perhaps during the next two
months | may be able to bring my
pens up to that number by purchas.
ing hogs from my ncighbors.
81 don't care to 30 much above 500
and If my seasons killing only
amounts to 450 am quite content. It
is not easy to pick up just the kind
OF hogs suited TO my trade and unlAis
can get just what | want I'd rather
not have them.
snry to keep up the standard of your
goods. That is what my customers
pay for. They could get all the sugar
cured bacon of the average quality
from the large packers. They prefer
TO buy mine because it is better, or
at least they fancy 1t is better.
ITO hold them as customers.
must keep my bacon up to the mark.
For ;hat reason had rather fall Il
few killers short than send out one
round ham or side of bacon with
too much fat.
What do | mean by round ham?
That is one of the greatest differences
between my hams and those cured by
the large packing houses. Their hams
are short, almost round on the top
and very fat Mine are longer. much
Halter and not nearly 81 fat.
"'rhc differences lies principally in
the breed of hogs. Perhaps you will
laugh when YOU learn that my hogs
belong to what is known in the South
as the shot-string breed. They are
the sort Of hogs that twenty years
ago could be found In all parts of the
South running about the woods al
most like wild animals. In some sec
tions they are known as razorbacks.
ut was about twenty years ago that
tasted my first razorbacli ham. As
a child | had gone to south Georgia
with my mother for her health We
became acquainted with the family of
I'm old planter near the little town in
Which we were stopping, and they H.
vitcd us out to their plantation for
dinner.
Il remember just how that ham
looked and my first impression of II
when it was brought on the table. II
was large and yet it was SO flat that
hadn't any hope of its being asi good
as the ham we had at home
"When | came to taste it my mind
changed. for ii was about the incest
meat had ever eaten. The OLD
planter told my mother il was home
cured, and after dinner they took MS
ont TO see the smokehouse where it
was cured and the pigs-killers. they
called them-which were reserved for
later slaughter.
They gave mother their recipe for
curing meat, and every year after that
my father made Il point of raising n
few hogs aud curing the meat for
mother Nine years ago when father
died there were a few pieces of that
homo cured bacon in the house, and
WIN the time came for the division
of his little property my brother want
cd ii sold because neighbor offered
him II good price for it,
Il objected on my mothers account
and managed to keep the meat. With.
III few weeks the same ncighbor
came to me direct with an offer 1t
was that second offer that gave me
the idea by which | now support my.
self and my mother.
AT the time of fathers death | was
studying with the intention OF becom-
ing school teacher. OF course with
him gone there was mother To he
considered, knew that it would ncy-
er do for me to leave her alone, so
decided TO remain with her on the
farm and try to make it keep lis.
after the division that was all we
had, this farm and the few head OF
stock. free of debt. When that man
came around to try for tho second
time to luy mothers bacon thought
out my plan.
"'rhc first thing | did was to write
to the old planter in Georgia and ask
about getting a start In his breed oil
hogs, telling him my reasons. re
ccivcd "A prompt reply from his son
saying his father had died and that
he. acting as he was sure his father
would have him do, was sending me
six pigs of the pure shoestring breed
He also enclosed full directions about
fattcning, slaughtcring and curing
them.
From those six pigs and fou
grown hogs which he shipped me
next spring all my stock has sprung.
My business methods have been very
simple.
"For tho first two Years | wont per.