The hams are now sent to the pickling rooms, or “sweet pickle department,” as this branch of the packing house is designated, and here a certain number are again tested with a thermometer, as described above. This test is carried out by the foreman in charge of the sweet pickle department in order that he may satisfy himself that the hams are properly chilled before they go into the pickle and as an additional check on the refrigeration. The hams are now ready to be “pumped,” and this pumping, as will be shown later, constitutes an important step in a successful cure. Pumping consists in forcing a strong brine solution containing saltpeter into the muscular tissues of the ham, and is accomplished by means of a large, hollow, fenestrated needle connected by means of a rubber hose with a powerful hand pump. The needle is introduced along the bone, the latter being used as a guide. In all of the larger packing establishments two general methods of curing hams are followed, the two methods being designated as the “fancy” or “mild cure” and the “regular cure,” the term “cure” being used to designate the curing period. Various trade names are given by the different packing establishments to the hams cured by these methods. In the fancy cure the hams are pumped in the shank only, whereas in the regular cure they are pumped in both body and shank. The same pumping pickle is generally used for the two cures. It is a significant fact that the greater proportion of the “sours” are found among the fancy or mild cure hams. This point will be discussed farther on in connection with some experiments to be described later. The actual curing is usually carried out in large vats which hold about 1,400 pounds of meat or some hundred hams. The hams are packed in the vats in layers and are entirely covered with the pickling solution or brine. A certain proportion is always observed between the weight of the meat and the amount of the solution. The pickling solution, or “pickle,” as it is termed, is a brine solution containing saltpeter and sugar. The composition of the pickle varies somewhat with the different packing establishments. The fancy-cure hams are usually cured in a milder pickle, that is, one that contains less salt and saltpeter than the pickle used in the regular cure, although in some packing establishments the same curing pickle is used for the two cures, the only difference being the additional pumping given the regular-cure hams. The pickling rooms, or “cellars,” as they are called, are held at a temperature of 34° to 36° F., and the pickling solutions are always chilled to this temperature before being used.