A rude platform or bench of planks is laid down, on which the meat is packed as it is salted. A boy hands the pieces to the packer, who lays down first a course of middlings and then sprinkles a little more salt on all the places that do not appear to have quite enough. Next comes a layer of shoulders and then another layer of middlings, until all these pieces have been laid. From time to time a little more salt is added, as appears to be necessary. The hams are reserved for the top layer, the object being to prevent them from becoming too salt. In a large bulk of meat the brine, as it settles down, lodges upon the lower pieces, and some of them get rather more than their quota of salt. Too much saltiness spoils the hams for first-class bacon. In fact, it spoils any meat to have it too salt, but it requires less to spoil the hams, because, as a rule, they are mostly lean meat. The jowls, heads and livers, on account of the quantity of blood about them, are put in a separate pile, after being salted. The chines and spareribs are but slightly salted and laid on top of the bulk of neat meat. The drippings of brine and blood from the meat are collected in buckets and sent to the compost heaps. If there are rats, they must be trapped or kept out in some way. Cats, also, should be excluded from the house. Close-fitting boxes, which some use to keep the rats from the meat, are not the best; the meat needs air. In ten days to three weeks, according to weather and size of the meat, break bulk and resalt, using the old salt again, with just a little new salt added. In four to six weeks more, or sooner, if need be, break up and wash the meat nicely, preparatory to smoking it. Some farmers do not wash the salt off, but the meat receives smoke better and looks nicer, if washed. CURING PORK FOR THE SOUTH. This requires a little different treatment. It is dry-salted and smoked. The sides, hams and shoulders are laid on a table and rubbed thoroughly with salt and saltpeter (one ounce to five pounds of salt), clear saltpeter being rubbed in around the ends of the bones. The pieces are laid up, with salt between, and allowed to lie. The rubbing is repeated at intervals of a week until the meat is thoroughly salted through, and it is then smoked. It must afterward be left in the smokehouse, canvased or buried in a box of ashes, to protect it from the flies. CHAPTER XI. SMOKING AND SMOKEHOUSES.