m after cutting out, saving all trimmings for sausage. Save
every bit of pure fat for lard. Also cut away the clear fat at the top
of the sides, devoting it to the same use. Make clean cuts on the
joints--this means a knife often whetted. Trim the hams rather flat,
and shape the hip bone neatly. The commercial fashion of cutting away
all the upper half of hams is fatal to perfect flavor. Trim shoulders
close, unless they are destined to be made into sausage--in that case
put them with the other scraps. Sides can either be cut into strips four
to five inches wide the long way, after the manner of commercial
"breakfast bacon," or left whole throughout their streaky part, cutting
away solid fat along the top for lard. Separate the heads at the jaw,
leaving the tongue attached to the jowl, and taking care not to cut it.
Cut off the snout two inches above the tip, then lay the upper part of
the head, skin down, crack the inner bone with the axe, press the broken
bones apart, and take out the brains. Jowls are to be salted and
smoked--heads are best either simply corned for boiling with cabbage,
peas, beans, etc., or made in conjunction with the feet into headcheese,
whose south country name is souse.

Use regular pickling salt--coarse-grained and lively. Spread it an inch
thick upon clean wood--a broad shelf, box bottom, or something similar.
Rub the meat well over with salt, and then lay it neatly, skin-side
down, upon the salt layer, spread more salt on top, and put on another
layer of meat. Put sides together, likewise hams and shoulders. Pack as
close as possible and fill all crevices with salt. Salt alone will save
your bacon, but a teacup of moist sugar well mixed through a
water-bucket of salt improves the flavor. Use this on sides, jowls and
chines. The joints, hams and shoulders, especially if the shoulders are
close-cut, need a trifle more sugar in the salt, also a trifle of
saltpeter--say an ounce in fine powder to three gallons of salt. Rub the
skin-sides over with plain salt, and lay upon the salt-covered shelf the
same as sides. Then take a handful of the mixture and rub it in hard
around the bone, then cover the whole cut surface half an inch thick,
spread on dry salt for another layer of hams or shoulders, and repeat.
Salt the chines lightly--their surface, cut all over, takes up too much
salt if permitted. There should be holes or cracks in the bottom to let
the dissolved salt drip away; it is best also to ha