HOG. 



April or May. They are now taken l 

 down, exposed to the sun lor a few j 

 days, rubbed again with red pepper, 

 and if perfectly sound, are ready to 

 be stored ; this is best done in hogs- 

 heads, with fresh ashes, or in a per- 

 fectly dark dry room. Some cover 

 the hams with canvass, and coat it 

 heavily with whitewash, hanging 

 them up until disposed of Dipping 

 the pieces in hot lye will kill mag- 

 gots, skippers, and other enemies, 

 but the salts being deliquescent, the 

 bacon remains always damp. There 

 is nothing superior to ashes, for it not 

 only hinders maggots, but keeps the 

 bacon from rats. 



The Westphalian hams enjoy so 

 much reputation, that it may be ser- 

 viceable to give the method of cu- 

 ring ; we also add the most approved 

 English method : 



" The method of curing hams in 

 the most celebrated districts is to 

 rub them very hard with bay or oth- 

 er salt, then leave them on a stone 

 bench, in order that the brine may 

 discharge itself In a few days the 

 rubbing process is repeated, about 

 half an ounce of saltpetre {nitrate of 

 ■putassa) being added to each ham. 

 "VVhen they have continued about a 

 week longer on the bench, or in tiie 

 salting-tub, among the brine, they 

 are commonly hung up to dry in the 

 sides of large open chimneys ; some 

 have them exposed to the smoke of 

 wood, peats, coals, or other sorts of 

 fuel, while others carefully avoid hav- 

 ing them smoked ; and when not sold 

 sooner, they are continued in these 

 situations till the approach of warm 

 weather, when they are packed up in 

 casks with straw, or the chaff of oats, 

 and consigned for sale. Hams lose 

 about 20 per cent, of their weight in 

 drying. 



" Hams may be cured in order to 

 resemble in taste those of Westpha- 

 lia, by the following process : Cover 

 a young ham of pork with dry salt ; 

 let it be for 24 hours to draw off the 

 blood, then wipe it perfectly dry, and 

 take one pound of brown sugar, a 

 quarter of a pound of saltpetre, half 

 a pint of bay salt, and three pints of 



salt ; incorporate these mgredients 

 in an iron pan over the fire, and stir 

 them continually till they acquire a 

 moderate degree of heat. In this 

 pickle the ham must be suffered to 

 remain for three weeks, frequently 

 turning it, when it should be sus- 

 pended in a chimney for drying by 

 means of smoke from no other but a 

 wood fire. The smoke from oak 

 sawdust or shavings is the best for 

 imparling a fine flavour. This smoke 

 contains imperfectly-formed pyrolig- 

 neous acid, which is the agent that 

 communicates the flavour to the 

 Westphalia hams. In Dumfriesshire 

 the pickle for hams is sometimes 

 made with one half ale, which ren- 

 ders the hams shorter, and adds 

 greatly to the richness of their fla- 

 vour. The imports of bacon and 

 hams into England have greatly in- 

 creased, the duty being reduced to 

 14s. the cwt., or just half of what it 

 was for many years. On those im- 

 ported from British colonies, the duty 

 is "is. bd. On hands in pickle, 6*." 



'• Diseases of Hugs. — The diseases 

 of swine are generally the result of 

 want of care and cleanliness, or arise 

 from injudicious and irregular feed- 

 ing, and from their being kept in loatli- 

 soiue and uncomfortable situations. 

 Is it to be wondered at that they be- 

 come subject to internal and cutane- 

 ous diseases ! Fortunately, they will 

 generally eat even when sick, and 

 salts (one to two oz.), sulphur (two 

 to three drachms), antimony, and 

 such like aperients, may be mixed 

 with their food for measles and simi- 

 lar disorders. If they will not eat, 

 there can, of course, be no cure ap- 

 plied. 



" In swine-pox, sulphur may be 

 administered in small quantities, with 

 treacle, in the wash ; fresh brewer's 

 grains, or pollard, may also be given. 

 But for cutaneous diseases in gen- 

 eral, an ointment formed of equal 

 parts of mutton suet and tar, with 

 the addition of a little sulphur, will 

 be found beneficial. 



" In cases of surfeit, indigestion, 

 or injury from eating slightly poison- 

 ous matter, swine will refuse their 



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