CURING BACON. 219 



dry sifted ashes ; mix and incorporate them well. The salter takes 

 a ham into the tray, rubs the skin with this composition and the raw 

 hock end, turns it over, and packs the composition of salt and ashes 

 on the fleshy side till it is at least three-quarters of an inch deep 

 all over it, and on the interior lower part of the ham, which is cov- 

 ered with the skin, as much as will lay on it. The man who stands 

 ready to transfer the pieces as they are salted takes up the piece, 

 and deposits it carefully, without displacing the composition, with 

 the skin side down, in the bottom of the trough. Each succeeding 

 ham is thus deposited side by side, so as to leave the least possible 

 space unoccupied. 



" When the bottom is all covered, see that every visible part of 

 this layer of meat is covered with the composition of salt and ashes. 

 Then begin another layer, every piece being covered on the upper or 

 fleshy side three-quarters of an inch thick with the composition. 

 When your trough is filled even full in this way with the joints, salt 

 the middlings with salt only, without the ashes, and pile them up on 

 the joints so that the liquefied salt may pass from them into the 

 trough. Heads, jowls, backbones, &<;., receive salt only, and should 

 not be put in the trough with the large pieces. 



>; Much slighter salting will preserve them if they are salted upon 

 loose boards, so that the bloody brine from them can pass off. The 

 joints and middlings are to remain in and above the trough without 

 being re-handled, re-salted, or disturbed in any way, till they are to 

 be hung up to be smoked. 



" If the hogs weighed not more than 150 Ibs., the joints need not 

 remain longer than five weeks in the pickle ; if they weighed 200 or 

 upwards, six or seven weeks is not too long. It is better that they 

 should stay in too long rather than too short a time. 



" In three weeks, jowls, &e., may be hung up. Taking out of 

 pickle, and preparation for hanging up to smoke, is thus performed : 

 Scrape off the undissolved salt (and if you had put on as much as 

 directed, there will be a considerable quantity on all the pieces not 

 immersed in the brine ; this salt and the brine is all saved ; the brine 

 boiled down, and the dry composition given to stock, especially to 

 hogs.) Wash every piece in lukewarm water, and with a rough 

 towel clean off the salt and ashes. Then put the strings in to hang 

 up. Set the pieces up edgewise, that they may drain and dry. 

 Every piece is then to be dipped into the meat-paint, and hung up to 

 smoke. The meat-paint is made of warm, not hot, water and very 

 fine ashes stirred together until they are of the consistence of thick 

 paint. When they are dipped in this, they receive a coating which 

 projects them from the fly, prevents dripping, and tends to lessen / 

 all external injurious influences. Han<* up the pieces while yet moist 

 with the paint, and smoke them well." 



