1865.] 
AMERICAN ^AGRICULTURIST. 
337 
Fig. 1. — MANNBK OF KILLISG A HOG. 
Killing and Scalding Hogs. 
— — • — 
The swiiie interest of Ihc United Stales is 
immense. One fonci enough of figures might 
go iato au investigation of tlio very inaccurate 
Jata of the census, (wbicli imlccil may give tol- 
erably accurate averages) ; but this woukl only 
astonish, and really te.ach nothing, except, as 
we have said, the iramcnscness of this interest. 
People will cat pork, it is a necessity of the 
peculiar " civilization " of a great part of our 
country. Tlie hog occupies a position in our 
farming, as a manure maker and utilizer of all 
kinds of garbage and refuse, and as one of the 
most jirotitable farm products, quite as promi- 
nent as pork, hams and bacon do upon our ta- 
bles. We heartily wish it were otherwise, and 
that swine were banished from the pale of civ- 
ilization, taking with them all the diseases they 
have induced and promoted. But, as hogs must 
be killed, they should be well killed, both for 
the sake of the hog himself, and lliat the flesh 
may be less hurtful to humanity who feed upon 
it. If a bog be well stuck, the blood will al- 
most all flow out, thus leaving the flesh in a 
much better state than if the animal bleeds 
poorly. The diagram herewith given, shows 
clearly, with a few words of explanation, how 
this should be done. 
In killing a hog, a knife is simply thrust into 
the tliroal of the animal, without making a large 
incision, in order not to expose the flesh to the 
influence of the hot water and dirt, while the 
carcass is being dressed. When the knife does 
not enter in tlie proper place, the animal will 
be a long time bleeding, and much of the blood 
will not flow out at all, but will settle in the 
shoulders, thus detracting from the value of the 
pork. Some butcliers lay the hog on one side, 
and make au incision tlirough the skin, one side 
of the middle of the throat, and tlirusting in the 
knife, worii the point back and forlli to cut the 
veins and arteries near the heart. This is a 
\ery awkward way, and if the arteries are really 
severed, the bleeding will be imperfect, as it will 
also be if the heart is cut. Otliers place a hog 
on his back, .and thrust in the knife nearly per- 
pendicularly, sometimes severing the wind-pipe, 
and mangling the tliroat barbarousl)'. Swine 
killed in this manner, are apt to be a long time 
dying, and never bleed well. A much better 
w.ay is to place the animal on his back, letting a 
man stand astride of him, and draw his fore- 
legs back, as represented. Another lays one 
band on his under jaw and presses it down- 
ward, so as to close his mouth, aud keep his 
head and neck in a line witli the body, and 
with a good "sticking 
knife," about ten inches 
long,having a thin blade, 
the point in the middle, 
and two-edged at least 
two inches from the 
point, makes au incision 
about two inches long 
juat back of ;the jowls, 
at the place where the 
head is cut off, (as shown 
in the engraving,) exact- 
ly in the middle of the 
throat. After the inci- 
sion is made at the place 
indicated, he sets the 
point of the knife in the 
incision, with the edge 
upward, glances his eye 
quickly over the animal, 
to see if the knife stands 
in a line with his body, so as not to thrust it on 
one side of the veins, (when it would enter the 
shoulder,) and holds the handle, so that the 
blade will point directly towards the root of the 
tail. Then with a firm hand he thrusts the knife 
quickly to the handle, in the direction indica- 
ted by tlie dotted arrows, and withdraws it in- 
stantly. If these directions are observed to the 
letter, the blood will follow the knife, often 
spurting several feet upwards; and the animal 
will bleed well and die quickly. A little practice 
or observation will enable any one to sever 
the great veins near the heart every time. 
For scalding hogs, even where large numbers 
are killed, farmers usually employ half-hogs- 
head tubs, and the lifting and tugging which 
accompanies the operation are well characterized 
by a correspondent, (Wni. Starling, of Peoria 
Co., 111.,) as " back-breaking work." Mr. S. 
sends a sketch of his hog scalding apparatus, 
which he describes as very convenient. It is a 
staples near the edge of the cover on which the 
hog lies, aud lay the chains over the hog. Tlien 
take hold of the chains and roll the hog over, 
casing him into the vat. The carcass can be 
turned with the greatest ease, and when suffi- 
ciently scalded, placing the hooks on the other 
ends of the chains into the staples of the cover 
ou the opposite side, by pulling upon the chains 
the hog may be lifted out. One man can handle 
the heaviest hog with case. While one is be- 
ing cleaned, another may be scalding. If the 
water is too hot, add cold water, if too cold, close 
one of the covers a few minutes. To the objec- 
tion thaffthe cost of such a vat is so much it can 
not be afforded, I would say that one will accom- 
modate a neighborhood, and can be built by 
those interested clubbing together, or one might 
own the vat and others hire the use of it." 
Fig. 3.— VAT FOH SCALDING HOGS. 
vat or box (^-1) of boiler iron, 6 feet long, 3 feet 
wide, and 3 feet deep. In the bottom of this 
a frame of slats, IJ inches thick, is placed. Be- 
low the boiler is the lire place (C), of the same 
width and depth as the boiler, provided with a 
grate, a pipe, (D), and door E, having draft 
holes. B, B, are lids or shutters, made of wood 
and hinged to each side of the vat, and support- 
ed in a nearly horizontal position, as shown. 
F, P', are cliains provided with liooks, held in 
position by staples. The whole is placed upon 
a pair of runners to facilitate transportation. 
In regard to the manner of using the scalding 
vat, Mr. S. says : " Close one of the covers un- 
til the water is hot, at the same time get a hog 
ready upon the other cover. Then open the 
vat ; hook one end of each of the chains into 
Preparations for Feeding Sheep. 
Wlien one has good hay, straw, comfortable 
sheds, and a supply of coarse grain, if the sheep 
to be fed are in good order, it is not difficult to 
make excellent mutton. But if a farmer has no 
hay for his sheep, no suitable sheds, but an 
abundance of coarse grain, a little forethought 
and good management are indispensable to 
render feeding sheep a paying enterprise. There 
are thousands of farmers who have straw and 
.grain in sufficient abundance to fatten one hun- 
dred or more large sheep, if some man of ex- 
perience could stand at their sides and give 
them proper details for performing the labor. 
The first step is to procure the sheep. Pur- 
chase none but good ones. Dry ewes, four to 
eight years old, if in good condition, are worth 
as much as wethers. Caution is necessary to 
avoid buying those that will drop their lambs 
in winter. There is no profit in feeding such 
ewes. Never purchase poor sheep. Better pay 
one-third more for those that are now in a 
growing, thrifty condi- 
tion, than to get lean ones. 
Aim to obtain young, 
healthy, strong and fleshy 
animals, having good 
teeth. Old sheep, thin in 
flesh and having poor 
teeth, will be found un- 
profitable for mutton 
Bheep in the winter. Such 
animals should be fatten- 
ed in the spring and early 
Bummer. Grade animals 
are usually found more 
profitable for feeding than 
full blooded ones. A 
pretty liberal infusion of 
Merino blood does not 
prevent the sheep be- 
ing fed with profit, though we much prefer 
grades of the South Downs or Leicesters, or a 
cross of South Downs upon the Leicester, or 
some other long wool breed. For the most 
part, purchasers have to accept such animals as 
tliey can get, for the reason that few formers 
allow the best of their flocks to be selected, ex- 
cept at a price which would be greater tlian 
would be warranted for feeding. Sheep must 
be bought at their lowest cash value, in order 
that a fair margin may be left as an equivalent 
for the labor and feed consumed. A portion of 
the profit will arise from the larger quantity of 
wool produced by good feeding, apart from the 
value of the grain consumed and transformed 
into mutton ; while a still larger proportion of 
the profits will accrue from the manure 
I 
