The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1920-05-07


{ AMI Much Patience and
1mspared by the United States Depart
ment Of Agriculture)
The farmer who wishes to kill and
Ain an animal should select q clean,
bard spot, under tree If possible, Or
u indoors room with q concrete
1oor In the lytter case a block and
tackle must d provided for swinging
Aeayy animals, while outside limb Of
. tree may be used for suspending the
carcass. Before killing the animal
should be cleaned Off, currled, and
brushed thoroughly In order to remove
Ri dirt, and care must be exercised
not to bruise or soil the hide or car
cass in the subsequent operations Of
killing and skinning. The sklnning
Knife should be sharp and should be
uSea no more than is necessary, as
special care must be used to avoid cut
ting the hide or skin. SHINING is
done best and easiest before the anil
mai heat has escaped, 1t being essential
30 leave all the flesh on the animal, rs
its presence on the hide or skin Is very
objectionable.
The operations Of SHINING are diff
cult to describe so that they may be
followed easily, according to special
lists. In fact, experience In fiaying.
especially of hides, can be obtained
snly by practice. 1t requires somewhat
of q knack. and much patience and
scare must be exercised until the knack
fs obtained. No written directions can
be as clear and effective as actual OBJ
servation and trials. 1t Is recommend
ed that the farmer or small killer take
advantage of any and all opportunities
ne may have to visit the larger killing
establishments where proper methods
are followed.
Skin the Head First.
After stunning and sticking the anil
NAL in order that 1t may bleed prop.
erly, the operator should begin skinning
tie head, cheeks, and face. as this
operation is easier to perform while
the animal is still suspended. When
Akinning over the cheeks always leave
the meat on the head, as one Of the
faults of country hides Is the presence
Of more or less cheek meat. Remove
the head by severlng from the neck at
The top of the spinal column. or atlas
Joint, leaving the horns on the skull
md not on the hide.
The animal should then be complete
Ey lowered, placed on its back, and held
Ia that position by using a spike stick
as q prop, placing one end of 1t In the
arisket and the other in the ground or
hoor. The legs should then be skinned
out and the feet removed. The dew
claws should be cut of. and after the
isgs are skinned the hide should be
ripped down the belly from the stick
fng cut to the tail, making this neat,
straight rip, free from jagged edges.
The sides should then be skinned by
gsiDg the knife as a skinning medium.
working forward to the brisket and
thcn back to the inside Of the hind leg,
close to the tail. lifting away the hide
With the free hand and stretching 1t
lightly by pulling outward and upward
against the knife. No wrinkle should
be allowed to form under the hide as
II Is being removed, while long,
steady downward stroke should be
used in removing it. The hide should
then be skinned off nearly to the back.
hone, leaving it attached at the thighs
and shoulders. The prop should then
be changed, so that the other side Of
the animal may be skinned. Although
proper SHINING without scores or
cuts requires considerable practice, a
proper pattern requires only sharp
Knife and straight, ripping, open cuts
along the correct lines, as explained
fully aud well illustrated i'm the de.
partments Farmers Bulletin 1855,
which now IS available free on request.
Skinning at Front Legs.
For the cut at the front legs, start
at the center, ripping line well forward
ut the brisket and somewhat In adj
vance Of the front legs; draw the knife
slantingly back to the union of the
fore leg and body and continue the
cut down the leg to meet that made
when skinning the feet and shins. The
same is done for the hind legs. start
ing Mt the center, about six inches
from the tail, and cutting upward to
the back of the legs, so as to connect
with the cut previously made. While
the animal is still down also skin over
the rump and back side of the body.
Next insert the spreader, or gambrel,
in the hind legs and raise the animal