THE PIG 325 



rump is well rounded, the back padded with fat. 

 The animal is ripe for the knife. At the break of 

 day it is aroused from its sweet repose and sacri- 

 ficed in the midst of piercing cries of protest against 

 so cruel a fate. With torches of burning straw the 

 bristles are burnt off, after which the body is well 

 scraped and washed, then opened and cut up. Now 

 the housewife proceeds to the work of salting and 

 curing this rich store of provision. Every member 

 of the family comes to her aid. Here, over a big 

 fire, in a resplendent copper kettle, the lard is tried 

 out and poured into pots, where it hardens and turns 

 as white as snow. Yonder the black puddings are 

 hardening in boiling water. Over there some one is 

 busily plying a big chopping-knif e, mincing the meat 

 that is to go into sausages, which will be wound in 

 a long garland about two laths and hung from the 

 ceiling opposite the fireplace to get a good drying. 

 In still another place the ham is being made ready 

 for wrapping in linen and hanging in a corner under 

 the chimney mantel to assure its preservation. On 

 a screen are spread the most important parts of the 

 animal, the chine and flanks, covered with a layer 

 of salt. And the housewife r s heart is filled with con- 

 tent as she views her cupboards and larders stored 

 with provisions for a year to come. 



"Now, these provisions, on which the housekeep- 

 er's hopes are based, would speedily decay and be- 

 come unfit for food without the use of salt. A piece 

 of meat left to itself soon gives out a bad smell and 

 undergoes putrefaction. The higher the tempera- 



