:pig:When the time was right the pigsty was cleaned out and brushed and scrubbed with a strong solution of Jeyes Fluid in water mixture and left to dry out.Next weekend a bottle of straw was brought over from the yard and a bedding made for the weaners when they came.Pigs were always kept in pairs for they do better than on their own.Farm men worked until 12.30 pm on Satdi's so dinner was taken and about 2 ish Albert arrived on his postmans bike with a wiggling Hessian sack in the cattier.Albert's coming up the drive Dad we shouted and rushed off round the pigsty.Albert lifted the sack out and went in the sty Dad came up "Wot eh thya like Alb" he asked " Good un's this time Bill"he said undoing the band and shaking out two smashing little pigs."What do you think Bill?" "Grand said Dad git em a bit o meal George and some watter" The pigs frolic ed and explored and ate up some of the meal and I went in the garden and pulled up some of the cabbage stumps and threw in as well.They loved attacking the mucky end and chewing the roots Albert told me there might be worms and grubs in so they would eat that end first.At 5.30 they were fed properly on barley meal mixed with water somewhat like gruel and the house scraps.On Sunday we rushed round to see them and they came to the half door grunting for breakfast.They soon became used to this and carried on alarming if food was late.A piece of coal was placed in the trough and they used to bite on it they seemed to treat it like a goodie.Time passes and it was time to lift and pie the farm potato's.All village children were allowed two weeks holiday to help with the potato harvest.On Saturday all the boys and girls in the village turned up and one of the men would come with the old cart horse and a duck foot harrow and drag every where the potato's had been all the children collected as many as they could and Albert and Percy would put them in bags.At the end of the day the bags were shared out amongst the men for pig food.Now this us lads enjoyed at the bottom of the garden was an old copper built up on a honeycomb brick structure and the copper lowered into the middle.The copper was filled with water and potato's and a fire light under so it made the water boil it was covered over with some boards and wet sacks to help keep the heat in The fire was kept going for a good half hour the allowed to die.After tea we would sneak down the garden raise the sacking and a board and get some out my word they were tasty.I still have a dirty old pan which we sometimes fill with water and washed potato's and boil skins on then sluff off the skins and eat them with butter as part of a meal.Very good with a slice of cold roast beef and pickle.The taste is entirely different from mash.These potato's were scooped out with some of the water mashed and served with the barley meal as part of the diet for the pigs.Now and again Dad would stir in a Karswood Pig Powder as far as I can recall it smelt just like an Indian Take away."It keeps em rate and regler boy" he used to say.
By now of course it was time to open the tattie pie.The riddle was brought up and positioned The Lister engine was filled with petrol and water al ready to start riddling in the morning.All the tatties were scooped up onto the riddle and the ware passed on to bags at the far end all the small ones dropped through onto a lower deck that put them out to the side,where once again they were bagged and along with the damaged one shared out for the pigs
The time now fast approaches and Uncle Bill would say "Whats your pig like Bill" to which Dad would reply not far off I reckon Whats yours like Percy "Could do wi anuther week or more I reckon" So of they would go round Percy's I reckon you could be rate mate Bill would say.Now shall I ev a wod wi the mester and book Slip for a week Thursday?Aye I reckon so that ud be about rate" and off they would go Arrangements were made for the appointed time.There was much to do the treacle poles got out and scrubbed the pulley wheel and rope washed and cleaned the kratch scrubbed also the wheel barrow and the salting tub all must be made clean for Thursday. So there you go weaners to thirtyseven score and ready for the knife.
So Wednesday after tea every thing was got ready kindling for the copper The copper filled with water.A bucket of cold water stood by to top up with.every things ready.
The Killing of the pigs
Its Thursday and Dad had lit the fire under Mothers wash copper and the water is boiling away nicely and Dad tops it up from the spare bucket stood by "George fill the bucket from the pump agen and bring it back here" Slips coming Dad and Slip would arrive "Mornin you Bills he'd say ayure ready"As ever we will be Slip.Dad had fastened a tray to the passage wall at the far end and had a back board to follow her up with when she got to the far end Slip lent over placed the captive bolt gun on her forehead Bang she would drop to her knees the tray would be pushed aside and the pig lifted onto the krarch and carried out into the yard.A white enamel pail was placed to catch the blood and her throat cut.Aunt Ada always had the blood to make black puddings with.While she bled the chains were laid in the salting trough and Dad would throw a bucket of cold water into the copper to sleck the boiling water get two buckets out and hurry to the pig which had now been lifted into the tub the boiling water poured over and two more fetched.Bring another bucket Percy Slip would shout and the chain would begin.The chain was pulled up from one side as high as one could pull and then back a sort of see saw action the chain being pulled slightly sideways until it reached the far end then pulled back several times.The pig was then placed on the kratch and carried to the treacle poles hamstrung and an heel tree put through then the carcass was lifted and hung vertical the pig was then scraped clean of whiskers Slip doing the finer points with a very sharp knife he kept for the job Ev yer got that barra ready George if so bring it ere.He would place the barrow in under the pigs head and cut her down the middle of her belly and let the guts drop into the barrow.He then cut the pipes at the head end and pulled the intestines into the barrow then he cut the pipes at the tail end being carefull not to loose any of the contents amongst the guts,The barrow was then wheeled out of the way.The "Pluck" was removed and put aside and the whole site tided up.The pig was left to set until Saturday.Tharmes were removed and us lads set to cleaning them "and do it properly or you will be eating pig s**t in your sausage"We were very carefull doing this job.Meanwhile mother would make up some frys and Us lads were told where to deliver them and "Don't let her wesh the plate for the pig weint keep proper if she does!"And so to bed
Saturday came and every thing was ready by 8 O'clock and no Slip it was 8.30 turned when he arrived"Was she laid on yer shot flap Slip?"Much chortling ensued."Niver mind about that he saideve yer got ivery thing ready?"Aye beet pulp bags weshed and opened out enamel pails for the bits and a bucket of hot water to wesh yer hands oat else"" I went out last nite and had a skin full so knap yer eyes bloody quietly especially if I have me big knife in me hand".At that time of day in Lincolnshire and North Nottinghamshire pigs were chained.(A quick explanation today pigs are cut down the center of the spine giving two pieces Chinning the ribs are cut close to the backbone each side and that give 3 pieces)So Slip cut off the head and Percy places it on a sack Slip then cuts through the meat on the back of the pig then saws through all the bones The two Bills get hold of the cut off pig and allows Percy to lower the carcass to the kratch undoes the hamstrung leg and lays the meat on a bag.The heeltree was removed from the other piece of the pig and the pulley hook inserted and the pig hauled up .Slip then cut the other side back meat and sew through the bones Dad would hold the chine (spine) so it didn't drop on the dirty floor and place it on a bag,The treacle poles were moved and one half of the pig place on the kratch and butchered into a nice ham a flitch and a hand These were trimmed into nice pieces and the trimmings saved for sausage and pork pie etc; The same was done to the other side so we had two nice hams two flitches from which a couple of pork roasting joints could be cut(Don't forget no deep freeze)The chine could then be cut into useable pieces a short one at the head end then where the front legs joined this was called the christening chine and the rest up to the tail.The chains had been remove from the tub and the tub placed upon the kratch The hams were done first and down the main vein down the leg salt petre was pushed a small amount of salt petre was mixed with the salt and well rubbed into the meat.This procedure was done to all the meat and left covered in salt Next day the salt was removed and the meat turned and re rubbed and the salt replaced over This would be done for a fortnight When the meat would be remove from the salting tub brushed clean and put into bacon bags and hung until you were ready to use it when Dad would lift it down and cut a lump off putting it in water over night to remove much of the salt then Mother would cook it.So there you go killing and putting away your pig 60 years ago.If you want to know what happened to the rest of the pig look in recipes Bye George
Topic: The countrymans way of keeping and killing his pig in the 1940's (Read 4661 times)
