FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



Slaughtering swine — As pointed out 

 by Wilder, a few years ago the packing 

 houses killed hogs only in winter and 

 most of the product was cured. At 

 present, the killing season is much ex- 

 tended and by means of cold storage, 

 fresh pork may be shipped to all points 

 in good condition. When hogs were 

 chilled with ice, from 5 to 15 per cent 

 of the hams and shoulders soured; now 

 this misfortune happens in only about 

 1 per cent of these products. At pres- 

 ent about 70 per cent of the pork slaugh- 

 tered in the packing houses is cured. 

 Swine are more easily injured than any 



an opening 3 or 4 inches is made, sev- 

 ering the veins and arteries. If the 

 thrust is made into the shoulder, some 

 of the meat thereby becomes blood- 

 stained. 



Scalding and scraping swine — Scald- 

 ing is the next process. If the hogs are 

 scalded too soon after sticking, the skin 

 may take on a red or purplish color, 

 such as is seen in cases of hog cholera. 

 Hogs are left in the scalding vat until 

 the hair loosens. This takes place more 

 quickly in some hogs than in others. As 

 soon as the bristles are pulled, the hogs 

 are put through the scraping machine, 



Fig 160 — A GOOD TYPE OF FEEDER, SHOWIN G PLENTY OF DEPTH 



other animal killed at the packing house. 

 It is, therefore, customary to provide 

 special receiving pens in which hogs are 

 allowed to rest thoroughly before slaugh- 

 ter. They are driven to the killing floor 

 with care to avoid their piling up and 

 becoming bruised. Wilder recommends 

 a paddle-shaped stick covered with can- 

 vass for driving hogs. 



A cooling pen is provided adjoining 

 the killing room. Hogs are hoisted for 

 slaughter by means of a revolving wheel, 

 the Hurford wheel being most generally 

 used. Each hog is shackled by the hind 

 leg nearest the wheel. After being 

 hoisted, they are run on a rail, where 

 they are stuck and bled. In sticking, 



after which the remaining hair is 

 scraped off by hand. In removing the 

 intestines, the leaf lard is carefully 

 pulled. The hams are neatly faced to 

 give them a good appearance and the 

 back is split in a straight line to give a 

 smooth pork loin. 



Cuts of beef — The system of cuts used 

 in preparing beef for the wholesale and 

 retail trade varies considerably in dif- 

 ferent cities. In Chicago, each side is 

 cut for the wholesale dealer into seven 

 pieces, four bordering on the back and 

 three on the belly. The first row of 

 pieces are chuck, rib, loin and round, 

 named in order from the neck back- 

 wards. The other row of pieces con- 



