Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-04-20
How To XIII Hoos

ton is not usually done until the
weather is quite cold, and sometimes
not much before Christmas. 1t is usu-
ally done out of doors, and it frequent-
ly happens that the day appointed is
cold, windy and snowy, but as the help
is engaged and preparations made the
farmer goes on with the work.
Some people do not feed their hogs
the night before killing, because they
think the feed is wasted, and it rem
ders the intestines more liable to rup-
ture in removal. With all respect for
these good people, think their opin-
ions are unsound. Hogs will continue
to gain fraction of flesh every hour
until killed if they have the proper
materials for flesh formation. l don't
believe the entrails are any more like
ly to be ruptured when full. feed
our hogs the evening before killing
the same as usual. They expect it and
would feel worried without it. 1t would
be cruel not to feed them.
Some farmers knock their hogs down
with club before sticking. This may
be necessary when they are cross.
Others think it more humane to shoot
them with a rifle. This might do when
there is only one to be killed, but
where there are several the shooting
would terrify them unnecessarily
whether the shooting is done in the
pen or outside of it. We catch our
hogs in the pen, put a rope on one
hind leg and rivet them to the place
of slaughter. l can rope them without
difficulty and in half the time stran-
ger could. The hog is thrown down
and rolled squarely on his back. The
knife is inserted in the neck just for
ward of the breast bone and close to
it, then thrust downward and backward
in the direction Of the tail, at an
angle of about As degrees. This as
sures the severing of the big arteries
and secures a good bleed. TO stick
hog lying on his side the sticker Is
more likely to get the knife under the
shoulder blade and cause blood to set
tie there to the injury of the meat.
Pork will not keep well unless the
blood is removed from the flesh, and
when the stick is good one, and the
head is kept lower than the tail, they
will bleed out clean.
The most important thing In dress
ing hogs is to get good scald so that
the hair and bristles can be easily and
speedily scraped off. 1t is better to
have the water too cold than too hot.
A "cold" scald can be remedled Dy
another bath in hotter water, but
"hot" scald cooks the skin and sets
the hair so that it can only be shaved
off with sharp knife and never looks
so well. Getting good scald is not
matter of good luck. 1t can be OBTAIN
ed every time by taking the proper
pains of testing the water with a ther-
mometer. No man can tell the right
temperature with his hand. For large
hogs, ITO degrees is about right. For
small hogs the water should not be
above 1876 or 100 degrees, and then
should not be kept in too long at that.
For scalding, platform is made
about IS inches high, and hig barrel,
with the bottom set into the ground
to keep it steady and the top leaning
against the platform at an angle OF
about as degrees, is commonly used.
The leaning of the barrel is to make
it easier to souse the hog up and down
and draw him out. In old times farm
ers took their OK sleds for platforms.
A little wood ashes, or soap, put into
the water assists in removing tho
scurf. To handle hog in scalding,
hog hook is an indispensable tool. 1t
can be made by any blacksmith. 1t
can be hooked into the jaw when scald-
ing the head. The hind end is usually
scalded first in order that the head
(Which is the hardest to clean) may be
attended to when hot. Scrapers can
be made from old corn cutters and
cradles. They must not be sharp. The
head, ears and legs being the hardest
to clean should be finished first. The
few hairs that will not scrape off can
be shaved off with a sharp knife. Be-
fore hanging up, the tongue and part OF
the gullet and windpipe are cut around,
pulled out and left hanging. After
hung up the hog is rinsed down with
some of the water from the scalding
barrel, and then rinsed down with
clean, cold water and scraped clean.
In removing the internal organs, .
slit is made from between the hind
legs to the throat, laying the whole in
sides bare. The pelvic bone between
the hind legs is cut, and the legs are
spread on the gambrel stick. The c.,
tum is cut around on all sides, pulled
forward and left hanging down. The
stomach and intestines are loosened
from the backbone, pulled forward and
taken out to have the lard removed.
The breast bone is cut, and the heart,
liver, lungs, tongue and windpipe re-
moved. Lastly the inside of the car
cass is washed in clean, cold water.
Hogs should be kept hanging until
cold before being taken down to cut