326 OUR HUMBLE HELPERS 



ture and the damper the air, the more rapid the rate 

 of decay. That is why the approach of winter and 

 as far as possible a dry time are chosen for the an- 

 nual pig-killing. Salt in liberal quantities is used 

 for preserving the meat, lard, and fat. Salted meat 

 dries without becoming tainted, and keeps for a long 

 time, though not indefinitely, since sooner or later it 

 turns rancid. Nevertheless salting is the best way 

 to preserve meat. 



"Another process, discovered long ago and very 

 efficacious, consists in exposing the meat to the ac- 

 tion of smoke from burning wood. That is why 

 salted hams are hung in the chimney-corner. But 

 on the farm it usually happens that too little atten- 

 tion is paid to this method of curing: it is deemed 

 sufficient to place the hams within reach of the smoke 

 from the fireplace without any covering to protect 

 them. Hence the meat becomes covered with soot, 

 black juices permeate it, and putrefaction sets in. 

 To avoid this mishap it is enough to wrap the hams 

 in two layers of linen, which sifts the smoke, keeps 

 out the soot, and admits only the vapors really 

 adapted to the preservation of the meat without 

 blackening it and giving it a disagreeable taste. 



"In various countries, Germany and England for 

 example, smoking is practised on a large scale for 

 curing beef as well as pork. Three or four rooms 

 with low ceilings and communicating with one an- 

 other by means of openings are connected with a fire- 

 place at some distance, in which oak shavings and 

 aromatic plants are burnt. The largest pieces are 



