326 THE FARMER'S AND 



i 



rates ; and we should not be compelled to keep our pork 

 or beef on hand until the opening of navigation in the 

 spring. 



Pork is cut into four or six-pound pieces, according to 

 the size of the hog. Where the carcass weighs two hun- 

 dred and fifty and under, it is cut into four-pound pieces ; 

 large hogs are cut into six-pound pieces. The hog is 

 first split through the back-bone in half; then passed to 

 the trimming-block, where the half head and legs are cut 

 off, the leaf and tender-loin taken out, and the whole side 

 split lengthwise through both the shoulder and ham, and 

 as near the centre as is consistent with the proper shape 

 and size of the different pieces. From the trimming- 

 block, the strips pass to the scales, where the weight is 

 ascertained, and called to the man at the cutting-block, 

 who divides each strip into the requisite sized pieces. 

 Both the splitting and piercing require skill and judg- 

 ment, as much depends upon having the pieces well and 

 sizably cut. From thence it goes to the rubbing-table, 

 where each piece is thoroughly rubbed in salt in the same 

 manner as in curing bacon. After the salt has been 

 well rubbed in, it is put into pickling tubs, holding from 

 three to five hundred pounds, well covered with salt, but 

 no water or brine added. Here they remain from eight 

 to ten days. It is then taken to the washing trough or 

 vat, where each piece is thoroughly washed in clean 

 brine, trimmed, and tormented, as the process of trying is 

 called. The tormentor is an instrument of wood or metal, 

 the size of a small dish, and is thrust into the lean parts 

 of each piece, to ascertain that it is properly cured and 

 free from taint. It is then messed and weighed, so that 

 the requisite number of pieces shail weigh exactly the 

 number of pounds for the barrel or tierce. It is then put 

 up in the proper package, and freely salted while packing, 

 and saltpetre added at the rate of a common wine-glass 



