The sun., 1907-08-11
,RAZORDACK, SUGAR CURED
MISS SMITHS WORK TBAT WHICH
OUR GRANDMOTHER DID.

a Maryland wsman VINO Makes living by
Curing Hams and Bacon From Hogs Of
the ehoessrsng Brcsd-A Good Oeco-
patton Ter o womnn. Too. she Calls n.
Mics Mary H. Smith Of Maryland has Tor
the last Ave yesrs supported hersen ana
her invalid mother by selling hams ana
bacon Of hsr own raising and curing. she
owns q small farm just across the line Trom
the District Of Columbia and disposes OF
her sugar cured meat TO private customers
In Washington and Baltimore.
We live simply but comfortably and nj
the end Of each year there 10 always some
thing TO lay by against a rainy day Miss
Smith replied when asked about her .suo-
oess. Il now have 4cs hogs for my next
seasons killing Three years ago 1 had
SOL and perhaps during the next two months
may be able TO bring my pens mp to that
number by purchasing hogs from my neigh
bors.
Il don't care to go much above COO and
IL my season's killing only amounts 70 $50
l am quite content. Il 10 not easy to pick
up just the kind OF hogs suited to my trade
aud unless can get just what want I'd
rather not have them.
-In work Of this sort IL 10 necessary 10
keep up the standard Of your goods. That
is what my customers pay for. They could
get all the sugar cured bacon Of the aver
age quality from the large packers. They
prefer to buy mine because it is better, or
at least they fancy it 10 better.
ITO hold them as customers ! must keep
my bacon up to the mark. For that reason
had rather fall few killers short than
send ont one round ham or a side Of bacon
with too much fat.
what do l mean by q 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 fatter and not nearly 30
fat.
The difference lies principally in the
breed OF hogs. Perhaps you will laugh
when you learn that my hogs belong to
what 10 known in the South as the shoe
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 almost like wild animals. In some
sections they are known as razorbacks.
1T was about twenty years ago that
| tasted my first razorbsck hams As a
child / had gone to south Georgia with
my mother for her health. We became
acquainted with the family OF an old planter
near the little town in which we were
stopping, and they invited US out to their
plantation for dinner.
Il remember Just how that ham look ed
and my first impressions OF il when it was
brought on the table. IL was large and
vet it was so fiat that hadn't any hope
Of it's being as good as the ham We had at
home.
when came TO taste il my mind changed
for il was about the incest meat had ever
eaten. The old planter told my mother
1t was home cured. and after dinner they
took us out to see the smok ehouse where
IL was cured and the pigs-killers. they
called them-which were reserved for a
later slaughter.
-They gave mother their recipe for curing
meat. and every year after that my father
made a point Of raising few hogs and
curing the meat for mother. Nine years
ago when father died there were a few
pieces Of that home cured bacon in the
house. and when the time came for the
division OF his little property my brother
wanted 1t sold because a neighbor offered
him a good price for IT,
Il objected on my mothers account and
managed to keep the meat. Within a few
weeks the same neighbor came to me direct
with an offer. Ii was that second offer
that gave me the idea by which l now
support myself and my mother.
AT the time OF fathers death I was
studying with the intention of becoming
a school teacher. or course with him gone
there was mother to be considered l
knew that il would never do for me TO
leave her alone. so ! decided to remain
with her on the farm and try to make il
keep us.
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 the second time TO buy mothers
bacon thought out my plan.
The first thing did was TO write to the
old planter in Georgia and ask about getting
a start In his breed Of hogs. telling him my
reasons. l received a prompt reply from
his son saying his father had died and that
he. acting as he was sure his father would
navs sm aH sending me SIX pigs Sf the
full directions about fattening, slaughtering
and curing them.
From those six pigs and four grown
hogs which he shipped me the next spring
all my stock has sprung. My business
methods have been very simple.
For the first two wears l went person
ally to first class hotels and to private CHS
toners. ! told them OF my undertaking
ana asked Tor small orders. Having pleased
them once the only question was keeping
their trade and supplying the orders that
came from persons who had eaten nv
hams and bacon at their tables.
Il have great many orders for the COM
ing season that will be unable to fill. In
several instances the people have written
me again asking mc 10 book their orders
for the autumn OF 1908. You see l never
deliver goods until they have hung in
my smokebouse for one year and on special
orders for twice that long. For proper
curing bacon requires one year.
After the fresh pork has hung sufficiently
long TO be thoroughly drained I rub it down
with saltpetre and salt. then pack il away
for two weeks. After this it IL coated with
a preparation in which saltpetre and brown
sugar are the principal ingredients and
hung up in the house and smoked
The smoking of the meat s one OF the
points about which our old planter friend
was most particular. I remember he eau
toned my mother against the use of pine
wood-light wood he called it--teling her
that oak and hickory chips were the only
proper combustible to he used He NAV
have been wrong; any other wood may be
az good for the purpose. but his meat was