524 BRITISH HUSBANDRY. [Ch. XLI. 



to shape it with a half-round point, clearing off any top fat that may appear. 

 The curer will next cut off the sharp edge along the back-bone witli a knife 

 and mallet, and slice off the first rib next the shoulder, where he will find 

 a bloody vein, which must be taken out, for, if left in, that part is apt to 

 spoil. The corners should be squared off when the ham is cut out," 



'\When this is done, give each ' flitch' — as the sides are called — a powder- 

 ing of saltpetre, and then cover it with salt, and let them remain in a cool 

 place, and proceed in the same manner with the hams. In this state they 

 may lie about a week, after which they should be turned, and fresh salted, 

 and in two or three weeks longer they may be hung up to dry in the smoke- 

 house; but if allowed to remain for a month or two until it may be con- 

 venient to dry them, no harm will occur, provided they be occasionally 

 turned*." The flitches should however be laid, vvhile salting, with the 

 rind underneath ; and means should be used either by having a tray vv'ith a 

 gutter round the edges, or placing them upon an inclined board, so as to 

 allow the brine to run from them. 



The drying of hams and bacon is performed in most of those farm- 

 houses where wood is employed as fuel, by hanging them in the chimney, 

 and, when oak is burned, it is said to impart a superior flavour; but smoke- 

 houses are also to be found in many country places where the operation 

 can be more accurately effected at a trifling expense, as the fire is equally 

 ke^it up and supported both night and day. These are, in general, mere 

 huts, about seven feet high, and closed on all sides, so as only to allow the 

 smoke to ascend by a small hole in the roof. The fire is made of saw-dust, 

 which is spread to the depth of five or six inches over the whole of the 

 earthen floor, and, when kindled, smoulders without creating flame. The 

 hams and flitches should be well rubbed over with bran, and hung from the 

 joists of the roof, if flat, or from pieces of timber, strong enough to bear 

 their weight, fixed across the walls, so that their ends may hang within two 

 and a half or three feet of the floor ; their distance from each other being 

 of no consequence, provided they do not touch. The neck of the flitch 

 should hang downwards. The flitches will, in general, be sufficiently 

 cured within little more than a fortnight, without much loss of weight ; 

 but hams, if thoroughly smoked, require longer time, and will lose per- 

 haps one-sixth f- In some large establishments the bacon is dried by 

 means of stoves ;"but a smoke-house, such as that described, if the process 

 be regularly as well as slowly conducted, will impart a better flavour, and 

 one of very small dimensions will be found amply sufficient for the cure of 

 a large number of hogs. 



The custom of smoking is the general practice in Westphalia; and in 

 Spain and Portugal, where the hams are also remarkably fine, sugar is very 

 commonly used in curing, in the proportion of about one pound to three of 

 salt and two ounces of saltpetre. The sugar assists in preserving the meat, 

 renders its fibre mellow, and corrects the extreme pungency which is often 



* Treatise on Swine, p. 29. 



■j- lu Boidley's American Husbandry — 



Dec. 2. Twenty of his family hams, trimmed, weighed 



when green, .... 321 lbs., or each 16j''g lbs. 



June 30. Do. do. when full smoked 256 ,, ,, 12/g ,, 



The loss being tluts 20J lbs. per cwt. 

 Dec. 22. Two of a tenant's hams, when green, 



weighed . . . . . 31 ,, ,, 15^ ?? 



Aug. 11. Do. do. when smoked 26 , , ,, 13 ,, 



Thus losing only 16 lbs. per cwt. ; but fhey were cured for sale, and intended to pre- 

 serve as much as possible of their weight. 



