Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1919-09-26

HAAS Ohiy Jill "
to five minutes in taking off the skin
of calf or Is minutes in the case OF
a beef hide--can increase the value
of the hide several times, say spe
cialists of the United States depart
ment of agriculture. This is OF
utmost Importance in view of the
present urgent demand for leather
and the increase in price which un-
scored hides bring on the market
1t is essential and even necessary to
exercise the utmost care in removing
skins from farm animals.
Country hides and skins make up
more than one-third of all the hides
and skins produced in the country,
but too often the value of country
hides for leather making is less than
that of packer hides. The tanner
pays more for packer hides than for
those obtained from farmers or coun-
try slaughterers. This is due in part
to better facilities in the large pack
ing houses for curing and storing
the hides, but principally to the fact
that such hides have been taken off
properly. The tanner knows that
country hides are frequently removed
by unskilled workmen and are often
cut and scored. When such hides
come from tanner. scores show very
plainly and in many cases one-half
of the thickness of the leather is lost
by such defects. ImperfectiOns can
be avoided and the farmer can make
more money by careful use of the
skinning knife, by keeping the hides
clean and free from blood, and by
proper storage and packing.
How to Skin Animals.
When animals are skinned on the
farm the operation should be per-
formed on a clean. hard spot under
tree, Impossible, or, if done indoors.
in a room with concrete floor. The
limb of a tree may be used for sus-
pending the carcass. but when the
hides are removed indoors block
and tackle must be provided.
The animals should be cleaned off
curried and brushed thoroughly in
order to remove all dirt. The skin
ming knife should be sharp, though
it should not be used any more than
is absolutely necessary. The use OF
the knife may be avoided in taking
off calf skins, except on the head
neck. legs. and TANKS, as the body
skin may be drawn or listed off
Where it is necessary to use the
knife. the skin should be drawn taut
with one hand. while the knife is
used with the other, special care
beng taken to hold the back of the
blade close to the skin. If this is
done there is less danger of cutting
or scoring the skins. In lieu Of the
knife, some butchers use a sharpened
wooden stick shaped like mans
thumb, and employ knife only on
the portions of the body mentioned.
Head Is Skinned First.
The first operation in removing a
hide is to skin the animals head,
cheeks. and face. This should be
done while the animal is still sus-
pended. Always keep the hide free
from meat, as one of the common
faults of country hides is the pres
ence of more or less meat, usually
cheek meat. The next step in the
operation is to lower the animal on
it's back and remove the skin from
the legs. Following this, the hide
should be ripped down the belly from
the sticking cut to the tail, making
neat, straight rip, free from jagged
edges.
The sides are then skinned, work
ing forward to the brisket and then
Lift away the hide with the free
hand and stretch it tightly by pulling
outward and upward against the
knife or wooden stick.
Blood is Objectionable on hides.
particularly in the summer, as it is
likely to cause the hair to slip from
rotting or decomposition when the
hides are packed. This may result
in having otherwise good hides
placed in the No. 2 grade on the mar.
ket Care should be taken to avoid
placing any hides in the pack until
they are free from animal heat.
Allow them to lie folded from three
| to FIVE hours or sufficiently long to
allow the animal heat to get out Of
them. If this Is not done patches of
decomposition may result and such
hides, though carefully removed. may
be reduced in market value at least
cent or more a pound
Preparing Hides for Market.
The preparation Of hides and skins
for market is of great Importance.
for if they are not properly prepared
and shipped they are subject to great
deterioration. AS rule hides are
folded with the hair side out. 1t is
essential to fold in the head and neck
on the body of the hide, flesh sur
faces together. and to turn in the
tail in a similar manner. Then
narrow fold should be made on each
side by throwing back the body edges
and legs, keeping the lines of the
folds parallel.
In building up pack of hides the
outer edges should be kept little
higher than the middle so that the
liquid or brine, formed by the dis
solving of the salt in the natural