Under the present methods of curing, the greater proportion of the sours occur among the partly pumped or mild-cure hams. These hams are pumped in the shank only, and the growth of the ham-souring bacillus within the bodies of these hams is not interfered with until the curing pickle has penetrated from the outside. As it requires several weeks for the curing pickle to penetrate thoroughly into the deeper portions of these hams, the bacillus is thus afforded a considerable interval in which to develop before it is exposed to the inhibitory action of the pickle. If these hams could be thoroughly pumped in the body at the beginning of the cure in the same manner as the regular-cure hams, the chief loss from ham souring would be eliminated. It would not do, however, to pump these hams in the body with the same pumping pickle used in the regular cure, as the meat would be rendered too salty and the mild flavor of the ham would be lost. There is undoubtedly a demand for mild-cure hams, otherwise they would not be on the market; and the question then arises how to pump these hams and still retain a mild cure. This might be accomplished by pumping these hams with their own curing pickle, which is usually a milder pickle than that employed in the regular cure, or an even milder pumping pickle might be used. If mild-cure hams were pumped in this way, the percentage of souring in these hams could undoubtedly be greatly diminished without materially affecting the flavor of the ham. To recapitulate briefly, the prevention of ham souring is to be sought in two ways: (1) Through greater care in handling the hams and the adoption of precautionary measures to prevent the introduction of the ham-souring bacillus into the bodies of the hams, and (2) through more thorough pumping of the deeper or inner portions of the hams, so as to create an unfavorable soil or medium in which the ham-souring bacillus can not develop even if it should gain entrance into the bodies of the hams. From what has been said it will be apparent that ham souring can probably never be entirely eliminated from the packing house under the present methods of curing, but the adoption of precautionary measures in testing and pumping hams, together with a more thorough pumping of all hams in ways similar to those suggested, would unquestionably reduce very materially the losses from this source. GENERAL SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS.