CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE. 



HOME CURED PRODUCTS OF THE HOG. 



I have often wondered why more farmers who grow pork 

 for the market, do not take up the business of a farm 

 packing plant on a small scale. I am sure pigs and hogs 

 of different weights could be slaughtered on the farm; the 

 products cured in the good old home way, and sold to local 

 stores or markets for better prices and better profits than 

 could' be received for live weight." I feel certain that a 

 farmer who would prepare for this work could profitably 

 market a high class article of all pork sausage — something 

 that cannot be found in a butcher shop. He should take 

 great pains to make this as perfect as possible, just as he 

 would make it for his own family. Put it up in attractive 

 packages of one, two or five pounds each and furnish one 

 or more of the best groceries in the nearby city. Or the 

 farmer could send out slnall sample packages to the better 

 class of citizens in the city and he soon would build up a 

 retail trade that would astonish him and at prices much 

 above anything sold by the butchers. 



Further than this, the hams could be home cured in a 

 sweet pickle or mild cure and smoked as they should be, 

 slightly, rather than be cured "while you wait" with 

 chemicals, and smoked with creosote dressing. There is no 

 more delicate morsel than a farm-cured ham from a young 

 pig of about 200 pounds. There is a great demand for such 

 hams during the winter season, without any smoking what- 

 ever. I personally like this kind of curing better than when 

 smoked, but hams cured in this manner would not keep 

 during the long summer months. The older hog, with the 

 exception of the spare ribs, should be made into sausage. 

 There would be little fat pork in light young hogs, but 

 older ones could be finished for this purpose from which 

 extra fine fat pork could be furnished, as well as a very 



