The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-26
Farm Community Residents
Help Each Other to Get
Meat Supply.
BIZ Times Special

BIZ Times Special
NOBLESVILLE, Ind, Dec. 26.-
Society women and club men may
have their rounds of gaiety, but the
provident Indiana farmer and his
thrifty wife have their sala days,
too. especially at this season Of the
year.
Most of the farmers OF Indiana
are busy now and will be for the
next few weeks arranging with their
neighbors to trade work. for the
butchering season is now at its
height throughout the state. The
telephone rings on the country line.
Il believe that was our ring, JIM"
says the busy wife, and Jim hurries
from the kitchen to answer the call.
Hello, yes, this is Jim. Do you say
next Tuesday? Yes, Kate and me
VIII be there. I hope it will be
colder than the day you helped us
butcher. My new rifle? All right,
will bring it along"
This is a sample of the response
John Brown gets from four Or five
more of his neighbors when he calls
to notify them Of the day he has
fixed for butchering on his farm.
He has already helped some of them
and others are ready to assist him.
Early Rising the Rule
The day preceding the one set for
butchering is busy one. Lard cans
must be washed and ,Scalded, kettles
made ready, presses cleaned, wood
collected for quick fires and the
boilers filled. The last, but by no
means the least important, prepara-
ticn for the morrow, is setting the
alarm clock for 4 a. m. So prompt
~ does the clock do its duty that
often some member of the family is
sure to contend that a mistake has
been made and that the clock has
sounded several hours too soon.
Grandfather is on special duty at
the foot of the stairs and he COM
pleteS that which the alarm clock
failed to accomplish.
There is another momentous mat
ter to which grandfather must give
concern and that is the weather.
He is always the first to investigate
this important factor in the events
connected with butchering day. He
walks out before dawn and soon re-
turns to announce to the family
the weather conditions. The weather
means much, as any farmer of ex-
perience will testify. Could he be
sure of his choice, he would select
a cold day.
There is yet in the Hoosier state
many farmers who adhere to the
old observance of signs. Many of
them will not butcher hogs or
beeves unless the sign is right. This,
they contend, is in the light of the
moon and the points of the moon
must be turned upward before any,
thing could induce them to make
their years supply of meat. They
regard the counsel of the almanac
as safe, and unless the moon points
upward and the sign is rising, pres
ervation of meat is risky, they
maintain.
On the other hand. many ridi-
cule this superstition and say they
do not butcher in the moon, but
in the barnyard.
Made a Home Coming
AT a homestead where there are
several married sons and married
daughters who live in town and who
arrange with their parents for their
years supply of pork, as many as
twelve head of hogs are sometimes
butchered in a day and prepared
for use Such an event is In the
nature of a homecoming.
The modern equipment for but
cheering purposes includes attach
ment of the sausage grinder to an
electric motor, thus reducing greatly
the labor of the old-fashioned
method of turning the crank by
hand.
The winter day is short, the dark
ness comes too soon, but it usually
finds all of the work done except
frying down the sausage and small
pieces OF meat that otherwise would
spoil before they could be eaten.
AT evening the raiment Of the folk
may be grease besmeared, their
faces picture WEAKNESS, things about
the home may be out of their usual
order, the light step of the morning
may be slackened. yet all are jovial