Cutting And Curing Pork

Ons of tho most important economie in farm labor is the cutting aml curinj of pork. In tho Soutltern and Western Status largo quantitiüs of the sidos aro out and cured as bacon, but furthor eas" it is salted directly into the barrel. A few suggostions at tliis timo aro appropriate. After the hogs aro thoroughly eool "(which will reqvure from twelve to thirty-six hours, aooording to tbeweij the animáis,) they should be laid on the Oatting block or platform, and tho heai taken oiï wilha gharp, long-bladed knife by cutting entirely around, just back o: the (hit. and down to tho bone. A little practice will enablo the operator to exactly meet tho artieulatiou whcro tho head is joir.ed to tho neck. A twist o: the head will now bring itfrom the body Next, lay tho animal on its back, iint ■with a saw cut directly tbrough tho backbone, having firstscored to the bono from tho tail to tho neck. Now cut through tho fat and skin and you havo the hog in two portions. ïhen with a small, thir blade scoro ander and around tho kidney fat, and, standing at therear of the sid' proceed to roll and draw out tho leaf in one entiro piéce to the tail. Next, cui out the back-bone and spare-rib, clear to the hip-bnrie, by wordng under and around it with your short, thin knife commoncing at tho neck, and pulling il up as you pioceed. Do not cut too close to th' bone, since a littlo meat does nol hurt )'' -r,v. si.xt, proeood to cut tho ehouldor, by square across aboul tin inch baok of tho shouldor-blade, and afterward trim it into shapo. Then commenci: and eüt around tho ham, beginning at tii' ■■': ink ; cut larpe cnongh and trim Is, and take out tho bone down to the gocket of tho hips by pooling nicely to it v. th a pointed knife, and triui all sinooth. Separate tho shauks diagonajty tnd preity near tho ham and shoukter. All the tihnmings are valuable, either for sausago or lard. Nothiug need be lost, und fill ragged portions of meat lefl on tho cuttingó are alwajs lost in ouring. "Work with long, bold strokos, and depend upou practice to make you perfect. Use a Baw wherever practicable, for although there are no largo bones in a hog excepl tho head, yet the saw alway.s makes clean work. If intonded for bacon, the sides should be divided onco from tho shouldor to the ham, and left in two pieces ; but if for salting in the barrel, it must be dividec into suitable pioces from the back to the flank. Xh head is now all that is left. This ■hould be laid opon its sido and the knife passod around from the articulation 01 joint of tho lower jaw to tho joint in tho nock bone, and cloven through with an ax or cleavcr. Tho eycs may now bo taken out, and the snout chopped off jnst forward of them and thrown away. Divido the skull along a lino between the eyes and cars, tako outjthe brain and tho caroass will be ready for saltiug. Wo always prefcr to dry salt hams shouldors and bacon. The ürst oporation is to rub thom lightly with good salt to draw out tho blood, for which purpose they should lie about forty-eight hours. Tlien rub them with a mixturo of salt and molasses as hot as the hand can bear it, and of such consistoncy that it will not run, mixing there with four ounces oi pounded saltpeter for each ton pounds oi salt. Staek them up where they will not freeze, and let thom lio throe days, aftor which they may bo rubbcd with clean hot aalt once or twice more, ah intervals of four or five days, according to tho size of tho pieces. Puy, from tho first salting, particular attention to tho shanks and othor bony parts, since theso are the portions most likely to taiated. In barroling pork, salt should first be liberally laid on the bottom of the barrel, and the pieces laid carefully in, tho skin next the barrel. Pack the meat closely so that tho re will be as few interstices as possible. Fill all up with salt and cover the top thoroughly and so proceed until the barrel is full. Use nono bitt the best coarso salt for the hauas and bacon. This must bo crushed fine, btit for the barrel it should b-2 used just as it comes from tho barrel or sack ; ono half bushei is considored enough for a barrel of pork, but we alway uso from thvee pedís to a bushei, ssuce fat pork will not p more than it needs, and whut iü not taken up is lit for uso at anothcr lime. If the pork does not inako brineenenh tooovei its. If, soft water should bc added at tho expiralion of ten da vs to cover the pork. Whcn eured, the hams, ehouklrrs and bacon fnould be smókcd with hickory sawdust or chips, or somo other .sound wood, a longer or shortor tiiao, aoccxdixtg tctlie tasto of tho ftoraüy. Above all, 8nioke slowly ; do not lot the fire get so hot as to make the meat drip. From six to ten days wiil bo enough for hams and shoulders, but baeo should be smoked more thwoiigMy. If these directions aro carofully followed a littlo praeticc will onable one to work understandiugiy andfast, and the quality of tho meat will not fail to orive %Pid]ipnrgu$