756 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



To Postmasters and Others. 



We are satisfied, that with proper exertion, 

 any person who will interest himself for us, 

 will be able to make up a list of new subscri- 

 bers for the "Planter/' in almost any neigh- 

 borhood, in this or any other of the Southern 

 States. We offer, as an inducement to those 

 who are disposed to aid and encourage us in our 

 efforts to extend the circulation of this paper, 

 the following premiums in addition to our 

 hitherto published terms: 

 To any person who will send us clubs of 



3 new subscribers and $6, — 



The So. Planter for 1857. 



6 new subscribers and $12, — 



The So. Planter for 1857 and '58. 



9 new subscribers and $18, — 



The So. Planter for 1857, ; 58 and '59, 



15 new subscribers and $30, — 



The So. Planter for 1857, '58 and '59, 

 and a copy of the Southern Literary Messenger 

 for one year. 



To single new subscribers we will send the 

 present volume, (commencing with the number 

 for January, 1858,) at the low price of $1 50, 

 paid in advance. 



We call upon every one interested in promo- 

 ting the progress and improvement of agricul- 

 ture, to lend us his aid in contributions of 

 original articles on practical or scientific agri- 

 culture, in order that our paper may continue 

 to be worthy of the confidence and support of 

 those who have hitherto so liberally sustained 

 it, and to whose interests its pages will con- 

 tinue to be zealously devoted. 



August & Williams. 



For the Southern Planter. 

 Hog Killing and Making Bacon. 



Mr. Editor, — Your method of killing hogs 

 and making bacon, is a very good one. 1 think 

 so because it is very similar to one I success- 

 fully practice. But I would earnestly protest 

 against making one of our great occasions, a 

 mere afternoon piece of work. In this region 

 we regard " hog killing" as a jubilee, second 

 only to Christmas. 



Having gotten every thing in perfect readi- 

 ness over night, the hands turn in at an earlier 

 hour than usual, to be called at 2 A. M. if fair 

 — if not, the next fair day. At the appointed 

 hour, the overseer, the foreman, or the judge of 

 the weather, repairs to the killing ground, and 

 if the sky indicates a favourable day, with a 

 loud halloo applies the torch, which speedily 

 brings all hands to the ground and the pile to 

 a glorious big blaze. 'Tis an honour to stick 

 the first hog, and a reproach if the half pen is 

 not swung by breakfast; you then have time to 

 wind up the whole business, and your hogs are 

 in nice condition to handle if the heavens are 



threatening, if clear they are suffered to hang 

 all night out of doors. My bacon, although in- 

 variably excellent, was never so good as last 

 year, w en I was induced by my overseer to 

 drop each ham, for five minutes, in a strong red 

 pepper tea before rubbing with salt. I find 

 that it is a popular idea in a portion of this 

 county, that a hog should have little or no wa- 

 ter after being put in the fattening pen, my 

 experience is contrarywise. 



I give them a liberal supply of pure fresh 

 water. I have a gambrel, which is a great con- 

 venience to one who has much butchering to 

 do, or who spays his shoats in the belly. It is 

 a simple stick of wood of any size and length 

 — say 2 feet long, and 2 inches in diameter, 

 with 2 holes in each end, 2 inches apart. Thus, 



with a rope passing through holes 2 and 3 and 

 returned through holes 1 and 4 and knotted, 

 the hind feet are inserted in loops a a which 

 tighten when the animal is suspended on pin 

 b. I first saw this simple thing used by a ne- 

 gro in Caroline county. 



I have a better contrivance for swinging a 

 beef, and just as simple; it consists of 3 stout 

 poles, 13 feet long, connected just as the three 

 legs of the sheers for hoisting threshing ma- 

 chines. When you are ready to hoist your 

 beef, stretch your tripod on the ground in the 

 shape of a V, the outside legs on either side of 

 the animal ; pass the ends of the gambrel, 

 (which is a plain stick, passed through the 

 hind legs in the usu;il way) over 2 stout pins 

 inserted in the outside legs of the tripod, and 

 with a man to each leg hoist away. After 



