504' ON CHEESE AND BACON-HOPPERS. 



apprehension for my own hams. I had papered them up before 

 the others were brought ; but 1 feared that there was some small 

 hole or crevice that had escaped my observation at the time, 

 through which the female fly might have introduced her ovi- 

 positor and laid her eggs upon the inclosed ham. The middles of 

 the flitches that I had cut them from were hanging uncovered 

 all the time ; but I have never observed the hoppers, either then 

 or at any other time, attack that part, unless it has been badly 

 salted, which I very much doubt was the case with the hams 

 in question. I desired the owner to come for them, and cut 

 the parts that might still be sound separate from the remainder 

 and paper them up. We began to cut them, when I found 

 that the hoppers had penetrated in the interior, along the 

 bones and between the muscles, to that degree, that we could 

 not cut a single piece larger than a man's fist from any part of 

 them. I believe, that had they been left another fortnight or 

 three weeks longer, it would have been impossible to have cut 

 a slice free from the maggots. The pieces that we had cut out 

 were papered up carefully to try to prevent any further attacks 

 until they were used. They were taken home, and J was told 

 that there was not one hopper to be seen in any of them when 

 they were used. I had occasion soon after to cut up one of 

 the hams that I had covered previous to the occurrence related 

 above. I took down the one that was hanging nearest to the 

 hams in question, when I was agreeably disappointed to find 

 not one hopper in it. This was before the flies had dis- 

 appeared from the kitchen entirely, but they were very much 

 diminished in number. As the ham was not all used directly, 

 a few of the flies that remained laid their eggs in it, and they 

 were hatched into grubs before it was finished. The remain- 

 ing c nes I did not open until two or three months afterwards, 

 when I had the pleasure to find them also thoroughly free from 

 the appearance of the larva ; which I consider was a certain 

 proof that covering them in the manner before related is an 

 effectual guard from the attacks of the hopper. It will not 

 do to cover only the fleshy part of the hams, leaving the hock 

 exposed, as I have seen many persons do, but they must be 

 covered entirely. The foregoing fact, I can assure you, is 

 nothing but the plain unvarnished truth. 



I remain, yours &c. 



J. B N. 



Feb. 13, 1836. 



