PIG RAISING. 



pork is by a system of hard rubbing, and using little salt. Some men. 

 even go so far as to use leather gloves with iron spikes 'tor the pur- 

 pose of rubbing the salt into the pork. This is a great mistake, as 

 the rubbing springs the pork and admits the air, which means taint. 

 It has been argued that dry salting is preferable to curing in brinei 

 But in a hot climate such as we have here the use of pickle cannot 

 be dispensed with. We must first of all place the pork in pickle. 

 A pig weighing, say, icwt. will require from five to six days in 

 pickle, about four days in dry salt, and so on according to the size 

 of the pig, and also the weather to be contended with. In hot, close 

 weather it will be necessary to leave the pork in brine for two or 

 three days longer in order to effect a cure. 



" The process of preparing the pickle is quite simple. You take 

 so much cold water and add salt until the pickle will float an egg 

 or potato. To every cwt. of pork add i2oz. of saltpetre, then the 

 pickle is ready for use. In ordinary weather it is only necessary to 

 turn the pork once in every two days, but if hot and close it must 

 be turned every day. The hams should be left in pickle from six to 

 ten days according to the size of the pig and state of the weather. 

 The hams should not be .taken out until they are perfectly cured. 

 Very large hams will require about a month in salt before being 

 properly cured. 



" After removing the pork out of the salt it should be placed rind 

 upwards in cold fresh water from six to eight hours, in order to 

 abstract the salt, carefully observing that none of the salt is left 

 in the pockets. After this is done, hang it up in some airy place. 

 In good weather it should dry in one day. The pork should be 



thoroughly dry before being put in the smoke house, otherwise the 



smoking will not be satisfactory. 



" In smoking bacon or hams never allow either to hang closer than 

 from 8ft. to loft, above the fire, and in order to obtain a good smoke 

 it is necessary to allow a current of air through the smoke house. 

 This can be secured by having an opening both at the bottom and 

 top of the house, which can be regulated according to the weather. 



" The best material to use for smoking is oak sawdust, which Is 

 very difficult to procure in this State. But the next best is pine 

 sawdust with a mixture of wheaten straw. About a bag of this 

 mixture will be sufficient for one smoking. On no account use fire- 

 wood, as it gives a black dirty smoke. 



" After being taken from the smoke house the bacon should be 

 wrapped up in strong calico or other material. The wrapper should 

 be a little larger than the bacon, so as to admit a quantity of oaten 

 or wheaten husks. If either of these cannot be procured, dry chaff 

 will do, though not so well. It the case of the latter being used it 

 is imperative that the chaff be thoroughly dry. 



" Bacon and hams, like all other products, require to be well 

 ripened before they are fit for use. Bacon requires at least one month, 

 while hams will take three, after which the colonial article will pos- 

 sess the taste and flavour of the best Irish or English hams." 



It would appear that the pig industry of this State, notwithstand- 

 ing all that has been written on the subject, has been gradually de- 

 creasing in importance. Why this should be the case is very diffi- 

 cult to get at. Farmers as a rule follow up any paying industry to 

 the last penny of profit is exhausted. But we have the testimony of 

 Mr. Charles Barnes, who says : 



" It is regrettable that the pig-raising industry, which should be a 

 valuable adjunct of the dairy farm, has not received that care and 

 attention to develop it which it deserves. In the sixties and seven- 



297. 



