of the different pieces. From the block the strips pass to the scales, where the weight is ascertained and called to the man at the cutting block, who divides each strip into the requisite sized pieces. Both the splitting and piercing require skill and judgment, as much depends upon having the pieces well and sizably cut. From thence it goes to the rubbing table, where each piece is thoroughly rubbed in salt, in the same manner as in curing bacon. After the salt has been well rubbed in, it is put into pickling tube holding from three to five hundred pounds, well covered with salt, but no water or brine added. Here they remain from eight to ten days. It is taken to the washing trough or vat, where each piece is thoroughly washed in clean brine, trimmed, and tormented, (as the process of trying is called.) The tormentor is an instrument of wood or metal, the size of a small dish, and is thrust into the lean parts of each piece, to ascertain that it is properly cured and free from taint. It is then messed and weighed, so that the requisite number of pieces shall weigh exactly the number of pounds for the barrel or tierce. It is then put up in the proper packages, and freely salted while packing, and saltpetre added at the rate of a common wine-glass full to the hundred pounds. The last layer is pounded in by a heavy iron weight, and capped with coarse salt. It is then passed to the cooper, who puts in the head, and puts on to the barrel one, and on the tierce at least three iron hoops at each end. The package is then filled with clean strong brine, bunged tight, branded, and is then ready for market. The great utility of this method of curing consists in the certainty of the meat keeping in good condition for years in any climate. The blood gets all drained out of the meat before it is barreled, and hence one great cause of injury is avoided. I saw pork and beef which had been two years in the barrel, which was as sweet as when first put up, and the brine was perfectly clear. A friend in London unpacked several packages of Irish and Hamburg cured provisions by the side of American. The contrast was any thing but flattering to our taste or skill. I could very readily see why our beef and pork bore so bad a name in the market, and was so much of a drug. The meat was not inferior, but it was badly messed, worse cut and cured, and the brine nearly as red as blood; and presenting, by the side of the other, not a very palatable appearance. The large hogs, or heavy pork, which is uniformly cut into six-pound pieces, is packed in tierces, and is then called India or navy pork. The four-pound pieces are put in harrels. A barrel of prime pork should contain from 25 to 30 pieces, cut from the ribs, loins, chines, and belly pieces, all lying between the ham and shoulder, forming what is called the broadside or middle. Three hars and two hind-leg pieces, or three hind-leg pieces and two hams, and fifteen or twenty pieces from other parts of the hog, except no part of the head. The meat must be of prime quality, firm, and well fattened; cut into fourpound pieces, exactly 50 to the barrel, and weigh not less than 200 pounds nett; and must have a good capping of St. Ubes or other course salt. This is indispensable. Bacon mess pork is so called when the full proportion of prime pieces in prime mess is withheld. There are therefore various classes of bacon pork. Tierces contain the same number, (that is, 50 pieces of six pounds;) and the same rules as to messing are to be observed as in the barrel. The tierce must have not less than 300 pounds, and well capped with salt. It is usual to put in 52 pieces. In bacon mess, the number of prime mess pieces should be marked upon the head. No part of the hog's head is allowed in any instance. Beef. This is uniformly cut into eight-pound pieces, and cured in all particulars precisely like pork, except a larger proportion of saltpetre is used in packing. Beef is almost entirely packed in tierces. For export, tierces only should be used. A tierce of prime India beef should contain 42 pieces, eight pounds each, and weigh not less than 336 pounds nett. It should be made from wellfed bullocks, and contain 32 pieces of loins, flanks, rumps, plates, buttocks, and briskets; 10 pieces, consisting of four chines, two mouse buttocks, two shells of rumps, two pieces cut up close to the neck, with bone taken outno shins, thigh bones, or neck. To be well salted, and capped with St. Ubes or other coarse salt. A tierce of prime mess beef should contain 38 pieces of eight pounds, and weigh not less than 304 pounds nett. It should be made from prime fat cows, or heifers; twenty-eight pieces of prime from loins and chines, with one rib in each, flanks, rumps, plates, brisket, and buttocks; with 10 coarse pieces, consisting of two neck pieces, (not the scrag,) two thighs or buttock bones, with some meat to them, two shells of rumps two or even four chines, not cut too close to the neck, and two shoulder pieces, with part of the blade bone in them, well salted, and capped with St. Ubes or other coarse salt. The tierces, whether for beef or pork, must be made of well-seasoned oak, with eight wooden and three iron hoops on each end. No pains to be spared in preparing and putting up, as the neat and tasty appearance of the packages will insure a more ready sale than if put up in a slovenly manner. It may be useful to yourself, or to your neighbors, to see the mode of cutting up the carcass of an ox in London. The provisions exported from that metropolis rule the trade in the West India islands and in other distant places abroad. It is very proper, therefore, that American packers should understand the English method. The annexed cut will show the London mode: No. 14. This, properly speaking, is the brisket, and is left out in the English cut. In a good ox, of the Durham breed, it is a great point, and it gives very choice pieces for packing India beef, as they are good meat, and perfectly free from bone. The relative value of these different cuts of an ox may be stated at their current value, viz: when the rump, loins, and fore ribs, of a fine ox will fetch eight pence a pound, the thick flank, buttock, and middle rib, will fetch six pence; the aitch or adze bone, thin flank, chuck rib, brisket, and leg-of-mutton piece, five pence; the clod and sticking, and neck, three pence; and the legs and shins, two pence a pound. Such is the difference. in value of the different cuts of an ox in the meat markets of London. It is well to observe, that the greatest attention should be paid to the making brine or pickle, whether for beef or pork. Pure water should be used in its manufacture; for the sediment from that which is impure will settle down upon the meat, and give it a bad color and a slimy feel. Where river or rain water is used, (and soft water should always be preferred,) it would be exceedingly desirable to filter it through sand, or at least to strain it. A great deal of beef and pork is utterly unfit for exportation, by the use of unfiltered water in making the brine. In packing provisions, the tierces, barrels, &c., should be made with great care and neatness. Clean, handsome ash staves are preferred, and of such other hard close-grained wood as will not stain the meat. Tierces should have four iron hoops, or three-one at the bilge and one at each chime. Barrels with an iron hoop at each chime. The fuller-hooped the barrel or tierce is, the better. We noticed, recently, that the first year after the modification of the British tariff, up to 31st August, 1842, 3,367 barrels only of American beef were imported into Liverpool. The past year, up to 31st August, there were imported into the same place 9,812 barrels, and 10,789 tierces of beef. If we would only pack our beef neatly by the above directions, the importations in 1846 might double those of 1844; and a great increase likewise will be made in the importation of pork. Beef, India, and extra qualities, in bond, per tierce U. States, prime, inferior and old, in bond, per tierce Pork, U. States, prime mess, in bond, per bbl. U. States, middles, in tierces, in bond, per 336 lbs. Canadian, middles, in tierces, duty paid, per 336 lbs Bacon, in dry salt, duty paid, per cwt. Hams, dry, in bond, per cwt. Lard, fine leaf, in kegs, duty paid, per cwt. secondary quality, in bbls., duty paid, per cwt. inferior, duty paid, per cwt. Butter, U. States, prime, duty paid, per cwt. Canadian, duty paid, per cwt. grease, duty paid, per cwt. Cheese, prime quality, duty paid, per cwt. Ox tongues, in pickle, duty paid, per dozen Tallow, duty paid, per cwt. Ashes, Montreal, pot, duty paid, per cwt. Beeswax, unbleached, duty paid, per cwt. Canadian, duty paid, per 70 lbs. Peas, Canadian, duty paid, per 504 lbs. Rape cake, duty paid, per ton Hemp, dew-rotted, duty paid, per ton Lead, pig, duty paid, per ton Five per cent. extra is charged on the amount of the above duties; provisions for export or ship stores pay no duty; hams and bacon in pickle pay duty as pork. |