The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-03-25
BUTcHER|NG
The Proper Way 70 Handle the
Knife and the Cuts to Make.

involves taxing the lives vi uunp AL
ilnals, and perhaps, also ON account
OF the noise made by the hogs when
they are caught for butchering New
ertheless, 1t is custom on most farms
to kill years supply OF pork for the
family and market the remainder II
there is any left over, ls killing hogs
as with everything elss the work may
be made much easier by simply study
ing the best methods to pursue, and
by providing suitable tools with which
10 work says he Rural New Yorker
1t is generally necessary TO do the
work out of doors. 50 pleasant day
should be selected When there are
great masy hogs to kill regular
slaughter-house should be provided.
Only healthy logs which have been
properly fattened sholild be selected
for butchering, as 1t Is impossible to
secure good meat from poor, sickly
stock. The inside OF every hog killed
should be carefully examined fors tu-s
bercnlosis, especially hogs which have
been fed on skim milk OF whey from
a creamery, ami the carcass discarded
If the disease is foundsin an advanced
stage. The most profitable time for
killing hogs Is when thev are from
nine to II months old. a,r1 the best
pork Is made from hogs of this age,
provided they ar, well brea. y ok VI
god quality canst he made from
scrub pigs
A knife with an eight or 1O-inch
blade should be used for killing. The
hog should be held on its back or
side, and the knife inserted in the
throat about two inches in front Of
the fore legs, with the blade slantine
back directly toward the backbone OF
at an angle OF about As degrees, and
held crossways of the neck In such
a way that both arteries which rnn
just inside of the breast bone vi" lie
cut The next operation is sca,d'ls
and scraping The tools required for
this work are candlestick .scrape =
hog hook, knives, barrel of hot water
and a bench or platform upon which
to work. The barrel is set on a slant
so the top of 1t COMES just to the top
Of the bench. In killing heavy hogs
1t Is always advisable to fasten block
and fall about 10 feet above the BAR
rel with which to lift the hogs on to
/, the bench, ard to handle them in the
scalding tub as it saves a great deal
of8heayy lifting t
The water for scalding should be
heated to about 1870 degrees Faiiten-
heit.s Ii too hot 1t is liable TO set the
bfistle, and III too cold longer time
| will be required A few handfuls OF
| ashes or tablespoonful OF concen-
| trated Aye will aid in removing the
scurf, but 1t has no effect upon the
| hair. Do not try to scald hog be-
| fore life Is extinct In using barrel
for scalding tub but one end OF a
| hog can be scalded at a time. The
hog should be kept moving IN the
water and aired occasionally. LAS
| soon as the hair can be scraped' OF
easily the hog should be scraped
clean with the 5candlesticks. and hung
up,by d gambrelstick run through the
gambrel cords OF, the hind legs He
| should then be rinsed OF with hot
water and shaved with a knife. and
| then rinsed with cold wafer A con-
| venient way Of hanging a hog is to
place long pole with one. end ON the
ground and the other end against
some building The ganibrel stick
can then be pushed up this pole, with
| the hog hanging to 1t, until Is swings
| clear when it can be held in place by
driving large nail in the pole below
| the stick
| The next step Is to slit him down
the belly and remove the intestines
stomach and liver. Cut the gall out
OF the liver, being careful not to spill
any Of it's contents on the meat Then
cut around the diaphragm and ,Ie'
move the heart, lungs. outlet and
tongue. Wash out thoroughly with
cold water, issert cob or stick In
the mouth to hold Il open for drain
age. In cold weather u Is not net
essary to slit the hog down through
the center of the backbone until thu
next day after killing, although this
would hasten cooling on warm night
Il When properly cooled, which Is gener
ally at the end of "a or SO hours 4
Id ready to cut up. The carcass ii
then slit down through the backhnn
with q eleayer and the head removed
The shoulder cut IL between tn
fourth and fifth ribs and the cut 10
the ham is about an inch an a hal
In front OF the pelvic bones. Remov
the sparerib from the shoulder an
bacon by cutting close to the rib bone.
Cut the fat part off from the loin |
q good hog this Is two Inches or NOR
J thick. Cut the legs OF just above tn
7 knee and hook joints.
The ham and shoulders should b
neatly trimmed, using the trimming
for lard or sausage. Split the hea
into quarters by first cutting