246 SOUTHERN PORK PRODUCTION 



brel stick inserted and the hog hoisted, after which those parts 

 not properly cleaned may be gone over again. The carcass 

 is then washed off with cold water and is ready for dressing. 



Dressing. — The carcasses should not be allowed to 

 hang too long before they are gutted. To do this the 

 hog is first split between the hind legs, separating the 

 pubic bones with a knife. The cut is then continued 

 down the median line of the abdomen and chest and 

 through the breastbone to the sticking place in the neck. 

 The cutting through of the breastbone may require an 

 ax if the hog is of any size. The next operation is to 

 return to the bung or rectum and cut around it and carry 

 it on down, cutting supporting cords where necessary. 

 This permits the stomach and intestines to fall out. The 

 gall bladder can then be sliced off the liver. The artery 

 should be cut that runs down the backbone, the dia- 

 phragm should be cut out around the wall of the body, 

 and the heart, lungs, gullet and tongue removed with the 

 rest of the offal. The mouth of the hog can be propped 

 open with a block of wood and the whole carcass washed 

 down several times. The leaf lard and kidney fat can 

 then be removed if the weather is warm. If the carcass 

 is large, it had best be split down the center by sawing 

 after removing the head. The carcass should then be 

 allowed to hang over until early the next day, when it is 

 ready to be cut up and started curing, if not to be dis- 

 posed of as fresh pork. If the weather is cold it may be 

 allowed to hang longer, but usually the sooner the cur- 

 ing process starts the better. 



Cutting up the carcass.— After the carcass has cooled 

 overnight it should be taken down and cut up. To do 



