important in turning out the best meat. The clean, open carcass, should hang
for 24 hours, before cutting. This should be sufficient, if the right kind of
weather has been chosen. @n mild weather, kill in late afternoon, so as to
take advantage of the cool night, in starting the chill. After the carcass has
hung in a cool place, until it has lost all body heat, and has become firm,
it is ready for cutting.

Cutting

Although, in the professional trade, the meat must be cut into neat and
shapely pieces, this is not necessary on the farm where convenient size, to
assure easy and thorough curing, is the important factor.
The meat should not be cut, nor any curing mixture
applied, until the animal heat is all out. Salt applied
too soon will retain the animal heat, blood and gases, in
the meat, and serious spoilage may result, also, the meat
cuts more easily when cool. To save waste, get better
curing results and attractive appearance, be generous in
trimming your meat. ‘The trimmings can be used for
sausage, headcheese, lard and other preparations.

Cutting should be done as indicated in the diagram
in the following order :—

Cut the rough shoulder from the fore part of the
carcass following the line | to 2. This line runs over
the third or the fourth rib. Next, cut the jowl away from
the shoulder, at a point where the back bone ends, line
3 to 4. The rib and neck bone should be removed now,
leaving as much meat as possible on the shoulder. Then
cut the shoulder butt from the top of the rough shoulder.
The butt includes one-third of the top of the shoulder,
and the division is made at a line parallel with the back-
bone, as shown on the illustration. After separation
from the butt, round out the shoulder, like a ham, to give the shoulder a
more attractive appearance, and assure better curing. Remove skin and lard
from the butt, which is known as the “‘picnic’”’ shoulder, and is a favorite
for curing.

The hams should now be attended to, and be cut from the large middle
piece. Place the carcass, skin side down, and saw on the line 5 to 6, at a
point 3 inches in front of the aitch bone, or four joints along the hind quarter
backbone from the tail, and at right angles to the hind shank. In trimming
the ham, be careful, when removing loosely attached pieces and surplus fat,

STANDARD LIQUID SMOKE-—Concentraied Hardwood Smobe
19