The Hope pioneer., 1922-12-28
(By DR.. P. F. Trowbridge)
Director, State Experiment Static

Director, State Experiment Station.
Now is the time to plan for the farm
cured pork. Select the hogs you want
to kill for your own meat. Do not plan
to slaughter the old sows that are to
be marketed unless you want great
deal of lard. For the best cured meats
select the pigs that will weigh from
175 to 200 pounds at the time you
expect to butcher. Do not let them
get excessively fat. Thrifty growing
hogs about two-thirds fat will make
the best hams and bacon, but will not
give the highest yield of lard. By
giving attention to details it is possible
to put up meat on the farm that will
be superior to the packing house
products.
With present high freight rates no
farmer should consider using packing
house cured meats. Save the freight
on both the live hogs and the cured
meats not only for the home needs but
put up enough to supply the needs of
the local market. BY doing this some
of the slack time of the winter can be
converted into cash. In this series of
short articles the writer purposes to
give directions with sufficient detail so
that the inexperienced may have no
difficulty in producing high quality
of home cured pork.
sIaughtering.
The hogs to be killed should be off
feed for twelve to twenty-four hours.
Stomach and intestines nearly empty
are easily handled and there is less
bother with gas formation. Let the
hogs have plenty of fresh water and
they will not become to restless.
Tools.
Have plenty of tools all ready and
plenty Of hot water. An inverted
wagon box or planks on the bob sleighs
will serve the purpose. For scalding,
a small galvanized iron watering
trough is most convenient. A better
Job of scalding can be secured If the
entire carcass can be in the water at
once. If barrel must be used ii
should be set at an angle with the
scraping platform on level with the
top Of the barrel. A shovel full OF
wood ashes, a pound of quick lime, two
tablespoons full of washing soda, OF
one tablespoon full of Iye should be
used in scalding water to loosen the
scurf.
Have two or three sharp butcher
knives, straight or curved blades, a hog
hook, gambrel for each hog to be killed
and scraping tools. If you do not have
regular bell-shaped hog scrapers use
dull knives, hoes, big spoons, or corr
knives. You should have a thermom
eter for controlling the temperature OF
the water.
Bleeding.
The hog will bleed out better If you
have block and tackle provisions 81
you can hoist by one foot before bleed
ing unless it is too wild or cross fol
handling. For ground sticking, if the
hog is gentle enough. grasp the fore
foot opposite and with quick jerl
toward you rool the hog on his back
stand straddling the hog facing the
head, holding both fore feet. The
person sticking should stand il
front Of the hog. With the left hant
on the lower jaw hold down the
head. Make a short cut through the
skin just in front Of the breast bone
Set the point of the knife just in from
of the breast bone with the blade OF
the knife toward the hogs head. Lee
the knife slant slightly toward the real
of the hog and push the knife in so a.
just to miss the breast bone. with
draw the knife with slight forward
cutting motion. Do not turn the knife
in the throat, nor make long slash
Be sure the cut is made in the middle
line of the hog so as to avoid {
shoulder stick. Just under the breas
! bone the arteries and viens from eacl
side of the neck and shoulder Join t,
connect with the heart. This stickin,
aims to sever both the artery and vier
at this junction and will let the car
cass bleed out rapidly. When the hos
has been struck let it get on it's fee
If it will as it helps the bleeding. Be
fore scalding wash off any blood clot!
with cold water. CTotted blood pre-
vents good scald. AS soon as tn,
hog is killed put the hot water in thu
tank or barrel with the lye or ashe:
and temper with cold wafer to abou
$50 degrees (not over 155 degrees)
One who is experienced can test tn.
temperature quite well with the hand
but 1t Is better to use thermometer
A hotter scald will set the hair unless
the carcass is removed the instant tn,
hair will slip. With>the slow scald O
$50 degrees there is no danger O.
setting the hair. If tank is used la,
rope across the tank so the rop,
will be under the carcass in the water
BY crossing the rope the carcass cal
be rolled in the water with but littl,
effort. The rope can be used to pul
the carcass on to the scraping plat
form. II a barrel Is used put tn
hog hook in the lower Jaw and keel
the carcass moving, sOusing and turn
Ing, ~ you Will not get a good scale