254 



FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



set on a slant and leaning against a 

 strong platform will serve as a scalding 

 vat. Boiling water put in a cold barrel 

 will have about the right temperature, 

 which is 185 to 195° F. A little lye, lime 

 or wood ashes added to the water aids in 

 cleaning the scurf from the body. If a 

 hog is scalded while still kicking the 

 skin will be reddened. The hog is con- 

 stantly moved about in the hot water 

 and as soon as the hair is loose is pulled 

 out on the platform and scraped, the 

 long bristles being pulled by hand. The 

 whole carcass is then rinsed and shaved. 

 The cords are raised in the hock joint 

 and the gambrel inserted by means of 

 which the hog is hoisted. The belly is 

 then split from near the rectum to the 

 chin. The rectum is then separated and 



two-thirds for bacon. Then the shoulder 

 is trimmed, the lean trimmings going 

 into sausage and the fat trimmings into 

 lard. 



Killing calves — For home use veal is 

 dressed like beef. The calf should be at 

 least six weeks old. In cutting up, the 

 flank and breast are removed as in mut- 

 ton and other cuts are made as described 

 in packing house methods. 



Preserving meat on the farm As in- 

 dicated above, fresh meat is more pala- 

 table and more nutritious than after cur- 

 ing. Even with the most perfect ar- 

 rangements, however, meat cannot long 

 remain fresh except when frozen, and 

 that is impracticable on the farm except 

 in winter. If the air be kept reasonably 



Fig. 177 — HOISTING BEEF CARCASS BY HORSE AND BLOCK AND TACKLE 



the whole intestine and stomach re- 

 moved. The liver is stripped out and 

 the pluck removed. The whole carcass, 

 inside and out, is washed with cold water 

 and dried. Pork is cut up as soon as 

 cool. The head is removed just behind 

 the ears. "Next remove the shoulders 

 between the fourth and fifth ribs and cut 

 off the hams about 2 inches in front of 

 the pelvic bones. Split the hams and 

 trim to a smooth rounded piece. The 

 feet may be removed at the hock, but 

 sawing them 2 inches above the hock 

 is recommended, as the hams will then 

 pack closer in a barrel." The middle is 

 then split and the leaf fat removed with 

 the kidney. For fresh pork, the middle 

 cut is separated into three lengthwise 

 strips; for curing, into an upper one- 

 third for salt pork and lard and a lower 



dry in the cooling room, meat may be 

 held just above a freezing temperature 

 for 10 to 14 days. In the northern 

 states, meat may be frozen in winter and 

 kept indefinitely in that state, pieces be- 

 ing sawed off as required for use. When 

 frozen it may be packed in snow to sepa- 

 rate the pieces from one another and 

 thus kept all winter. As stated by Boss, 

 meat may also be partly cooked or fried, 

 packed in stone jars and coated with 

 hot lard. Such meat keeps well in a 

 cooling room. 



Some form of curing, however, is as 

 necessary on the farm as in the packing 

 house. Meat should be cooled for 24 to 

 36 hours, but not frozen, before putting 

 into pickle. Large stone jars are the 

 best vessels for curing meats but a hard- 

 wood molasses barrel is good. The stone 



