232 do:mestic anoIxVls. 



the jol), he is in a hurry, and ere the breath is out of the poor brute's 

 carcass — nay, ere he ceases to struggle or moan — he is tumbled into the 

 scalding tub ; he is then withdrawn in a second, placed upon a table, the 

 hair and bristles carefully removed by scraping with a knife ; disem- 

 boweling follows — and it is well if the poor wretch has perished before 

 that process commenced. 



In olden times it would appear that our butchers were less hasty, or 

 more merciful. All the skulls of hogs were broken in upon the frontal 

 bones, precisely in the same manner as are now the skulls of oxen and 

 other animals. Were the hog first deprived of sensibility by compres- 

 sion of the brain, as produced by a violent blow upon the forehead, he 

 W'Ould be a passive victim in the butcher's hands, who could not only 

 perform all the remainder of the process with more humanity, but — 

 and think well of it, such of you as might probably be swayed by no 

 other consideration — with more dispatch and less trouble. 



We are happy in being able to add, that a humane custom of knock- 

 ing the hog on the head before cutting his throat is rapidly gaining 

 ground, and that no respectable butcher will allow it to be dispensed 

 wirti. In the country parts of both England and Ireland, however, the 

 old abuses are still permitted to exist; and we are grieved to say that 

 everywhere, with a very few honorable exceptions, the barbarous prac- 

 tice of plunging the hog into the scald while yet living, is still sys- 

 tematically and designedly adopted. A very respectable man surprised 

 us the other day by deliberately telling us that "a liog will no way 

 scald so well as when the life is in him." This is, however, a mistake. 

 It is only necessary not to suffer the animal to become cold and stiff. 

 Readers — we raise our voice in behalf of a very useful and most cruelly- 

 treated animal — may we beg of all to unite with us in the cause of 

 humanity, and then we shall not have raised our voice in vain. 



And now, having supposed the animal killed and dressed, let us pro- 

 ceed to inquire into the most approved modes by which its flesh may 

 be converted into bacon and ham. The hog should be left fasting for 

 full twenty-four hours before killed ; and after the carcass has hung all 

 night, it should be laid on its back upon a strong table. The head should 

 then be cut off close by the ears,- and the hinder feet so far below the 

 houghs as not to disfigure the hams, and leave room sufficient to hang 

 them up by ; after which the carcass is divided into equal halves, up 

 the middle of the back-bone, with a cleaving-knife, and, if necessary, a 

 hand-mallet. Then cut the ham from the side by the second joint of 

 the back-bone, which will appear on dividing the carcass, and dress the 

 ham by paring a little oft the flank, or skinny part, so as 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 with 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. 



This passage is quoted because it describes a novel mode of cutting 

 bacon, and which we liave not as yet seen pi-acticed. The ordinary 

 practice is to cut out the spine or back-bone, and, in some English 



