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Show BUTCHERING ON THE FAM H THE METHOD OF A FARMER WHO THOROUGHLY H UNDERSTANDS THE BUSINESS. M In order to do neat and rapid work H at hog-kllllng tlmo, It Is necessary to H have a Rood scraper, sticking knife, a M hog hook and a place that Is conven- H lent for working. M For scalding, a barrel Is commonly M used, and it is all that la needed unlosa H the hogs arc very large. It very large H hogs aro killed, a scalding tub will H answer tho purpose for scalding much H bettor than a barrel. H I have ono which is made of two- H Inch plankn for tho Bides and ends, H and sheot Iron for tho bottom. It is H , nix fcot long and three, and one-half M foot 'wide, with a depth of two and M ' one-half feet. M Two hooks arc fastened near the M top on one side, with a pair of trace M I chains to run under tho hog, to facll- M itato tho turning and withdrawing M from tho tub. M It Is placed over a furnace, which M in mado by digging a trench In tho M ground, and when in uco I place pieces M ' of wood across tho bottom, in order M to koop the hog from coming in con- M tact with tho iron bottom and getting i M too hot. M I find that tho proper temporaturoj M for good scalding is from ISO to 100 M degrees, and if a barrel is to be used j M tho water should be boiling when , M dipped out of tho kettle, as the barrel i M will cool it Gomo. pjp H Hopr-scnldlng Tank. H Tf a scnldlng tub Is used, the wator H fhould bo cooled by adding a bucket H of cold water before the hog is put In. H To insure a correct heat of the H water, use a thermometer. Small H quantities of lye, ashes or lime will H have no effect in removing tho hair, H but will causo the scurf to como loose H more readily. H A hog hook is almost Indispensably, H and if one i.s to bo made it should bo H mado in tho form of a buy or H I balo hook. In fact, I find that a, hay H hook answers tho purposo very well. H In handling tho hog, stick the hook H . in tho flcshof tho lower Jaw, Just be- H hind tho fork of tho Jaw bone. How- H , ever, tho hook may bo stuck under tho M , tendons of tho hind legs. M J Keep tho hog in constant motion M while boing scalded, and draw It out' M to air occasionally. "When tho hair H h and -scurf slip easily from tho body H tho scalding Is completed. H In scraping and cleaning tho hog, H I clean tho feet and head first, thqn H the legs, and last but not least, tho H I H ( I hang the hog with a rope and H ' uUcy, as it Is moro easily hung In H this way than any other Buf it may H , be hung with the ordinary' gambrcl, a H atick which is sharpened at each end and Inserted undor tho tendon strings of tho hind legs. A short singletree will bo found to answor for a gumbrpl-stlck. Tf there Is sufficient help at hand, the hog may bo hung on a polo put up for the purposo. After .tho hog Is hung up, rlnso it down with bcaldlng water, lomovo the cMitralls by running a sharp knife lightly "down, marking the holly straight, cutting to the bone between tho thighs and In front of tho ribs, which bones I split with an ax, being careful not to cut beyond them. OpMi tho abdomen, and after a Httlo use of tho knife ono will seldom cut the entrails In removing thorn. However, I have a few short strings j at hand to uso In case any of tho entrails en-trails are cut. Aftr removing the entrails, liver and heart, spread tho carcass apart with a stick and rinse It down with cold water When cooled sufficiently, remove tho leaf fat and kidneys and cut it up. j I usually salt down on a bonch or In a box as soon as it tin's cooled I enough to trim, but I never put nny 'salt on the ribs and backbones if the j weather is cool. Tho amount of salt I uso Is ten I pounds to every ono hundred pounds of meat. Tn addition to tho salt, I also uso two pounds of granulated sugar and two ounces of baltpetre mixed. Hub tho meat onco every three days with one-third of the mixture. While It Is curing pack It in a box In a cool room, whoro It will neither become warm nor frcoo. 9 Two barrels may be7 used, changing the meat from ono to the other each tnno It Is rubbed. After tho last rubbing rub-bing let tho meat llo in a box for a week or ten dajs, tlion take It out to smoke. When taken out of tho box dip each piece In a kettle of boiling water and lot it romnln half a mlnuto, aftor which sprlnklo a littlo powdered borax on tho meat sldo, and ha'ng. Smoke It four . or five days with hickory chips or corn cobs, then dip und sprlnklo It with borax again, and put it down in clean hay. Tho hot water destroys any fly oggH that may have been deposited, and tho borax prcvonts flics from depositing fresh ones. Meat treated in this manner may be left hanging all summer and will remain re-main In tho best condition. W. Hanson, Han-son, Illinois. |