Handling the Hog from Start to Finish (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1910. Excerpt: ... Handling Hogs On Arrival At The Yards--The Gutting--Saving The Bung--Fac-/ Ing The Ham--The Use Of Hog Heads--The Hearts And Tongues. Every packinghouse man has read so manyarticles on the subject of killing, cutting and the different methods of curing hogs that it would seem superfluous to open up the matter again, but there are new men taking hold almost every week, and if the method advanced in this book tallies with their method of handling, it will give them more confidence, and consequently they will turn out better work. But, let's get down to business and see how simple the work is--so simple that, in the case of the curing, the department head should never allow a vat or tierce to go wrong in any way; that is, not to allow his pickle in the vat to get "ropy" or sour, and to be possessed of a full knowledge at all times of how his meat is in the vat, which, in the case of hams, can be gained by his thirty-day inspection. In the same way, should a tierce go "dry" he should be aware of it, and when his tierce stock is getting old and perhaps the temperature poor, his pickle (sweet) will become thick, which later on will sour his meat. Foremen ought to look after all this, but on the department head will fall the blame of anything going wrong, and in cases such as this there is no excuse for him, but later on this particular part will be taken up more fully. On the arrival of the hogs in the house from the "yards" they are turned over to the superintendent of the killing department, whose man will see that they are watered and that his house is not too crowded, and that he picks out any tired hogs from the lot. These and cripples should be killed at once, as it is not good policy taking chances on their getting better. Instead they very often become...