The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1955-01-14
TIMES HAVE JUST CHANGED
THAT'S THE WHOLE STORY
BIZ VICTOR MEEKiNS

Those to whom the old fashion
ed country-cured ham was a de-
lightful thing, highly priced, have
been sharing more disappointment
from year to year, until they have
about given up hoping to find one,
Those farmers who do persist in
curing this fine kind of meat ap-
parently save it for themselves.
1t used to be at this time of the
year, beginning in mid-December
and continuing through January,
that upon a ride through the
countryside, one might see hog
gambrels at every other farm at
least. Of early morning, the road
side would reveal many cleaning
white carcasses. Hog-killing time
a few years ago meant a gathering
of neighbors, many of whom made
no charge for their services. Hog
killing time was a festive occasion
and womenfolks shared in it too.
The farmer usually shared his
meat with those who came to
help him.
The country weeklies carried
many advertisements of local
merchants reminding the farmers
of the availability of hog killing
supplies. Salt and pots and pans
and knives, and sausage suffers
and meat grinders, lard tins, pork
barrels. etc. You don't see so many
of these ads now.
Go out through the country
from farm to farm and try to buy
one of those glorious old country
hams. Chances are the farmer is
eating Smithfield ham, or one of
the less flavorful varieties of
meats from Chicago or St. Louis,
carried by any corner grocery. Yet
we are producing more hogs than
ever, and farmers who used to
keep six or eight hogs for their
own use, now markets hundreds
of them each year.
Where have the hogs gone? It's
Just another example of living in
a world that has changed Hog
growers have gone into quantity
production. Markets have been
opened in convenient areas. Motor
trucks make it possible for all
farmers to carry their meat on the
hoof quickly to market. Back in
hog killing days on the farm
there used to be periods when even
the mule couldn't get out to de-
pendable road. Farmers then had
to have meat of some kind at
home. Now they can go buy fresh
pork and sausage of their neigh
borhood grocer any day in the
year. The actual need for a hog
killing season has passed. The
hogs from the farm go to market
all through the year. If the farm
er wants to keep some of his own
meat, the slaughter houses will
prepare it for him cheaper than
it used to cost when part Of the
help was furnished free by the
neighbors.
In other days up and down this
coastland of ours, hog killing time
had it's counterpart in various
forms. There were long, cold win
tiers ahead, and the resourceful
and wise old people prepared for
those strenuous days. 1t was
case of survival, for there were no
almost unlimited" credit facili-
ties. Cash really didn't count for
there were no stores where one
might buy today's conveniences.
Here is what was done to insure
plenty in winter, by the old folks
who were not farmers, but had
only small gardens Of green's, and
perhaps few sweet potatoes.
Cattle, hogs and sheep roamed
wild on the beaches. The owners
took advantage of free range.
,. Through the autumn months they
sailed up barrels of fat and nour-
ishing drumfish, mullets and
spots. Sometimes they sailed
beef, and even barrels of wild
geese and ducks which were
soaked out the same as the fish
or the beef and turned into tasty
meals.
Flour was unknown, but they
took their salt fish across the
sounds and up the river to the big
farming areas where there was
plenty of grain to be gotten in
trade. For not even the farmers
in the land of plenty across the
water, used, or needed ample cash
in those days.
Men along the coastland with
their wiry beach ponies, spent
many a long summer and winter
day, carting up driftwood and
wreckage from the strand to build
a woodpile to last them through
the winter. And the boys and men
of the family couldn't run off in
those days wasting away their
time, burning gasoline that wasn't