n March, or April farther south, in February it
is necessary to get the meat smoked and inclosed under the canvas before
the bug leaves its winter quarters. Hams may be thus kept in perfect
condition as long as may be desirable, and will remain sweet and nice many
months.

BOX FOR STORING BACON.

If the smokehouse is very dark and close, so that the flies or bugs will
not be tempted to or can get in, all that is necessary is to have the meat
hung on the pegs; but, if not, even when the meat is bagged, there is
still some risk of worms. To provide a box that will be bugproof,
ratproof, and at the same time cool, as seen in the illustration, Fig. 24,
make a frame one inch thick and two or three inches wide, with a close
plank bottom; cover the whole box with wire cloth, such, as is used for
screens. Let the wire cloth be on the outside, so that the meat will not
touch it. The top may be of plank and fit perfectly tight, so that no
insect can creep under. Of course, the box may be of any size desired. It
will be well to have the strips nailed quite closely together, say, about
one and a half inches apart. When the meat is put in, lay sticks between,
so that the pieces will not touch. If the box is made carefully, it is
bugproof and ratproof, affording ventilation at the same time, and so
preventing molding. Meat should be kept in a dry and cool place.

[Illustration: FIG. 24. SECURE BOX FOR STORING BACON.]

CHAPTER XIII.

SIDELIGHTS ON PORK MAKING.

The trade in country dressed hogs varies materially from year to year.
Since the big packing houses have become so prominent in the industry
there is, of course, less done in country dressed hogs, yet a market is
always found for considerable numbers. Thirty years ago Chicago received
as many as 350,000 dressed hogs in one year. With a growth of the packing
industry this business decreased, until 1892, when only 5000 were handled
at Chicago, but since that date there has been a revival of interest, with
as many as 60,000 received in 1894 and an ever changing number since that
date. Thirty years ago the number of hogs annually packed at Chicago was
about 700,000. This business has increased since to as many as 8,000,000
in a year, the industry in other packing centers being in much the same
proportion. At all packing centers in the west there are slaughtered
annually 20,000,000 to 24,000,000 hogs.

Compared with the enormous numbers fattened and marketed on the