Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1921-12-15
THE MEAT TRUST
And THE SOUTH
By George D. Coleman

| AA0ot tlloIi Tic SOulilGIH SldlcSs anu lIlAS |
Especially in its supply of bacon and |
hams. In fact. the agriculture of the
South is strongly dependent upon the
agriculture of the North, much to the |
profit of the North and to the injury
of the South. Nothing has so strong
ly impressed me of the need of the |
South for diversified farming than the
statistics of the U. S. Government and
the reports of the Southern agricultur-
al colleges, and, above all, what
have seen. Raising Cotton and pur-
chasing fertilizer from the fertilizer
trust rather than making manure and |
composing it with the abundance of
trash and available material at hand, |
i have seen Southern farmers go to
town and buy baled hay and chopped
feed rather than raise it themselves.
have seen car loads of chopped feed
come to small towns in Mississippi
Georgia, and Alabama from Iowa and
Missouri, when climate and all other
considerations should make it far
advantageous and cheaper to raise it
right here. But the greatest foolish
: ness of all | have seen is whole train
: loads of the meat trusts cars going to
Mobile, New Orleans, and other cities,
loaded with bacon and hams, thus rob-
bing the Southern farmer of his best
market for home grown and cured hog
products. With the southern agricul-
tural papers constantly hammering at
this expensive custom, it is gradually
changing for the better. Still have
seen and still see farmers spending
their cotton money to buy bacon, lard, |
and hams that they could better raise
and cure themselves. Before the Civil |
War and the growth of the meat mon
opoly, the South not only raised large
quantities Of hog products, but south
ern-cured bacon and hams were of the
very best quality; but pork-making on
the farm has become in later times al
most lost art. | do not know who
or what combination started the dog
ma. (but it is here in full fIower) that
there must be colder weather than OBJ
tains in the South to make good and
superior bacon and hams. If excellent
quality of both were made before the
Civil War, please explain to me the
change in the climate or what change
has made it impractical NOW As a
matter of fact, it is quite the contrary,
for the preparation Of extract of smoke
or liquid smoke does away with the ne
cessity of using fire to smoke bacon
and hams, and pulls the teeth out of Il
the argument that it is not cool enough
IN the South to cure good bacon and II
hams. Even the big packers in the
North find they can produce better
hams and bacon by using smoke ex-
tract than by the old process of smok-
ing. Most of the salt sides" sold in
the country stores in the South, of
homemade, is made by using one
ounce OF saltpeter to every five pounds
OF salt; and it is much improved if Il
two to three pounds of brown sugar
to the 100 pounds are added. The
sides are either boned, or the ribs are
cracked so as to lay flat, and laid on
table and thoroughly rubbed with
the mixture, and, in case of hams, ell
ther large or cottage hams, little
pure saltpeter rubbed in around the
ends of the bones; and, to prevent bad
joints, jab fork or skewer into the
joints and rub the holes with pure
saltpeter. This rubbing should be
done about once a week and between
times the pieces should be laid up in
cool place with the salt between
them. When we'll sailed, they are ready |
to be painted with the smoke extract.
An ordinary paint brush will do to APP
ply the extract; and, if there are any
'dermestes, " the mother of the skip |
pei" it might be well to rub into the |
meat some black pepper. or. if to your
/ taste, some Underground ripe, dry. |
red peppers, which process will dis
courage all insects-besides it gives
a flavor and a relish to the meat that
is liked by great majority of people.
| There is no sense or reason in a far
mer paying out his cotton money. or
any money. to the meat monopoly for
hams or bacon or lard. or any pork
product for his own use. Not only
that, but there is more money to be
made raising hogs and turning them
into bacon, hams. lard, and sausage,
and scrapple and other pork products
that will sell promptly in the local
market, or to your less provident
neighbors. In competition with the
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