216 



THE HOG. 



" In killing a number of swine, what sides you may have dressed 

 the first day, lay upon some flags or boards, piling them across eacri 

 other, and giving each flitch a powdering of saltpetre, and then cover- 

 ing it with salt. Proceed in the same manner with the hams them- 

 selves, and do not omit giving them a little saltpetre, as it opens the 

 pores of the flesh to receive the salt, and besides, gives the ham a 

 pleasant flavor, and makes it more juicy. Let them lie in this state 

 about a week, then turn those on the top undermost, giving them afresh 

 salting. After lying two of three weeks longer, they may be hung 

 up to dry in some chimney or smoke-house. Or, if the curer chooses, 

 he may turn them over again, without giving them any more 

 salt ; in which state they may lie for a month or two, without catch- 

 ing any harm, until he has convenience for drying them. I practised 

 for many years the custom of carting my flitches and hams through 

 the country to farm-houses, and used to hang them in their chimneys, 

 and other parts of the house, to dry, some seasons to the amount of 

 five hundred carcasses. This plan I soon found was attended by a 

 number of inconveniences, yet it is still common in Dumfriesshire. 



"About twenty years ago, I contrived a small smoke-house of a 

 very simple construction. It is about twelve feet square, and the 

 walls about seven feet high. One of these huts requires six joists 

 across, one close to each wall, the other four laid asunder at proper 

 distances. To receive five rows of flitches, they must be laid on 

 the top of the wall. A piece of wood strong enough to bear the 

 weight of one flitch of bacon, must be fixed across the belly end of 

 the flitch by two strings, as the neck end must hang downwards. 

 The piece of wood must be longer than the flitch is wide, so that 

 each end may rest upon a beam. They may be put so near to each 

 other as not to touch. The width of it will hold twenty-four flitches 

 in a row, and there will be five rows, which will contain one hundred 

 and twenty flitches. As many hams may be hung at the same time 

 above the flitches, contrived in the best manner one can. The lower 

 end of the flitches will be within two and a half or three feet of the 

 floor, which must be covered five or six inches thick with sawdust, 

 which must be kindled at two different sides. It will burn, but not 

 cause any flame to injure the bacon. The door must be kept close, 

 and the hut must have a small hole in the roof, so that part of the 

 smoke may ascend. That lot of bacon and hams will be ready to 

 pack up in a hogshead, to send off, in eight or ten days, or a little 

 longer if required, with very little loss of weight. After the bacon 

 is salted it may lie in the salt-house, as described, until an order is 

 received. 



" 1 found the smoke-house to be a great saving, not only in the 

 expense and trouble of employing men to cart and hang it through 

 the country, but it did not lose nearly so much weight by this pro- 

 cess. It may be remarked, that whatever is shipped for the London 



