242 SOUTHERN PORK PRODUCTION 



profitable use of all parts of the hog that the larger 

 specialized packing interests are able to compete so suc- 

 cessfully with the small butcher. 



Pork for home use. — We are apt to consider that we 

 can best sell our hogs on foot and then buy our required 

 pork as we need it, but such is not economy. The 

 slaughtering and curing of pork for home use has many 

 advantages to commend it. One cannot only save money 

 by it, but a better pork supply is to be had. Dry, hard 

 and tasteless meats are not wanted. Juicy, sweet and 

 tender meats can be had if some care is taken in the 

 methods employed in slaughtering, dressing, curing and 

 preserving. The aim of the farmer should be not only to 

 supply enough pork for home consumption, but to supply 

 a surplus to be sold in case it is not needed. 



Co-operative slaughtering. — The extra force required 

 to do slaughtering and butchering can best be overcome 

 by co-operation among a few farmers in a community. 

 By this method five or six farmers of a community will 

 form a butchers' club and go from one farm to the other 

 and do the slaughtering. Each one becomes more or 

 less expert and adept at some particular phase of the 

 work, which means added efficiency. One man may in 

 this way become quite expert at scalding and scraping, 

 another may become expert at dressing, and still another 

 at cutting up, another at trimming, and another at sau- 

 sage making and so on. An added advantage that comes 

 from such an association is that fresh pork may thus be 

 had at almost all seasons of the year. The plan would 

 be to kill a hog turn about during the warmer weather 

 and rotate the parts to the members of the association. 



