64 A MANUAL ON THE HOG. 



A cold northwest wind with clear sky indicates suita- 

 ble weather, but an east wind, no matter how cold, indi- 

 cates an unsettled condition of the weather, and such sea- 

 sons are unfavorable also, from the fact that east winds 

 are apt to^ be moist, and to be followed in a few days by 

 falling weather. Meat cures better in dry cold weather, 

 such as usually accompanies our northwest winds A 

 mean daily temperature of forty degrees, is favorable for 

 curing pork. 



As soon as the hogs are sufficiently well fatted, every 

 preparation should be made to take advantage of the first 

 suitable weather. Nothing which can be done before, 

 should be left to be done in the hurry of butchering. 



The preparation should consist of a close strong pen 

 adjoining the fattening pen with a trap door opening into 

 the latter, the floor well littered with straw, an abundance 

 of hard wood, with an ample supply of lightwood for 

 kindling and torches, ample pole room, and a few more 

 gambles than there are hogs to be killed, a good pole or 

 rail scaffold slopping up from the scalding vessel to a 

 height of three feet to facilitate both cleaning and lifting, 

 a sufficient number of sharp knives for cleaning, a water 

 tight vessel ready filled with water with puncheons in 

 front to keep the scalders from mud and water, a basket 

 of cobs to prop open the mouths of the hogs as fast as 

 hung up, and a basket of shucks for washing down. If 

 there is not a suitable boiler in which the water can be 

 heated, a box sunk into the ground or a hogshead partly 

 let into the ground and slightly inclined, will answer. In 

 the latter case a cord of wood, with hard rock or large 

 pieces of iron mixed through it, will be needed to heat the 

 water. A little turpentine or a few bunches of {green 

 pine tops put into the water will facilitate pulling off the 

 hair. 



The smoke house should be thoroughly cleaned out, 

 clean planks prepared to receive the pieces of meat as it 

 is cut out, salting and packing boxes made ready, vessels 



