The Brinkley argus., 1918-01-11
E)v|CE II FAR.ME2ti uNCU..I..5O.. i..'.--.'' h.
More Meats Are Lost By iniProPe chil.inJ ~h r Fso.n Asy
 Other Cause.

pv Lawrence Foot, Meat Curirg Spe- cialist. Extension Div, U. of A., and U. S. Dept of Agriculture. Tn order to have the best quality of rork products, for the twelve months home needs and surplus for the market. hogs should be hard finished. Before killing, they should be put in pen or lot where they will be kept ouiet and fed on water alone for 24 hours. A barrel to scald the hog in ia good. A shovel of wood ashes or some soft soap or tablespoonful of | I've should be put in the scalding wa ter to help remove the scurf. Hogs should be killed in cool, but not freezing weather; frozen meat will not cure. The carcass must be well chilled not only to the bone, but through it; more meats are lost by not being so chilled than from any other cause These are some of the suggestions made by Major Foot in his recent bulletin on the Home Cur ing of Meats" This bulletin can be secured by any resident of the state by writing to the Extension Division af the University of Arkansas, at Fay etteville. Major Foot says further, on the curing of meats:
 Curing Meat.
 The pickle should consist of pure oyJi,,or,y rood colt /JO y,Dt ,,co salt that will not make clear brine), and sugar (granulated cane sugar is best). To every five gallons of cold water add ten and one-half pounds of salt and two and one-half pounds of sugar (no saltpeter); mix we'll The brine should be boiled, skinned, strained and chilled before putting it on the meats whenever the salt or water contains impurities, but If the water is pure and the salt will make a clear brine, boiling is unnecessary. Five gallons will cover and cure 100 pounds of meat. Then in a barrel or other vessel, which has been we'll cleaned with hot water (and only use those barrels that are new or have held only vinegar, molasses, cotto- lene or lardD, place your hams, pie nics Cor shoulders) and sides with the skin side down, except the top layer, which should be skin side up. Per haps it may be more convenient for you to put the hams and shoulders in one vessel or barrel and the sides in another. When all through place over the meat two or three strips or plank Gree of nails), and not of pine or cedar, as they are apt to spoil the flavor of the meat; then weight down with six to eight burned bricks or stone. Use no iron weight, as the action of the iron and salt will ruin the pickle. Stir the pickle well and pour same on meat until it is three to four inches above the meat, this will allow for loss. Endeavor always to have the temperature of the meat and brine the same when packed. Diff ferent curing periods are necessary for different weights of meat, for you can readily see that the proper period
 
 to cure a 20-pound ham, if used to cure ten-pound ham, will make the latter too salty The same rule holds good for seyen-pound piece of bacon and fcur-pound piece. Therefore, tho writer gives you the following ta- ble:
 For breakfast bacon, 4 to 5 pounds,
 when cut to inches wide and
 15 to IS inches long g......-....12 days For breakfast bacon, 5 to 6 pounds,
 when cut to inches wide and
 15 to IS inches long.......-.15 days For breakfast bacon, to pounds,
 when cut to inches wide and
 15 to IS inches long..-......-..-..1S days For medium bacon, 10 to 12 pounds,
 when cut to inches wide and
 Is to IS inches long .......-...-.23 days For medium bacon, 12 to 15 pounds,
 when cut to inches wide and
 l5 to IS inches long ng.-.........25 days For hams and picnics, to pounds,
 ....-.,.....-.................... days For hams and picnics, 8 to 10 pounds,
 days