Big Hog Killing in Bayly's Neck

That the Eastern Shore farmers can raise some of the finest spuds over put on a gentleman's table and that the strawberries raised here are fit for a king are well known to the writer. He has a feeling that it is not quite so well known that the climate, the method of feeding, the experience of Eastern Shore tillers of the soil will produce some of the finest porkers ever seen.

Hog killing is an event and an experience wonderfully fascinating to the novice. At this time of the year one may see great fires throwing spooky gleams on farm houses and barns long before daylight, as one travels through the county. Around these fires the clans gather, friends, neighbors, relatives, all drawn by the announcement of hog killing time. Already the huge iron pots are on the fire and the water is beginning to boil for the great event. Listen to the conversation: "I just know that biggest one weights over six hundred pounds." "And I bet you he will go close to seven hundred." The sticker is sharpening his deadly dagger once more to make sure that it will not fail him. Volunteers have offered their services to throw the huge beasts, the tripods are ready for erection, the women are cooking the breakfast and have their knives, their pots and pans ready for the heavy work of the day and before long the first hog is dead. At once the scraping off process of the hair is under way. No, safety razors are out of place, just ordinary clam shells do the trick.

This scribe arrived after the hog had been all killed and scraped. The five beauties belonging to Will Lee Allen in Bayly's Neck, four red ones and one black one were hanging up, ready for the further operations. Did we say beauties. If hogs can be called beautiful, then the five hogs raised by the Allens were beauties indeed and in truth. With eager anticipation the weighing of the first one began. The inevitable Milliners, Allens, Melsons and other Eastern Shore people were all there. They crowded around the scales, they guessed, they estimated, they predicted and announcement was made that the smallest one of the lot weighed 531 pounds. With a sigh of relief the fellows with deft hands began to cut the beast in pieces. First the head came off, then the sides were cut out and the shoulders and the hams. Almost in less time than it takes to put this article down, that hog was cut up, salted, the fat separated, the tenderloin severed and the parts for the sausage meat turned over to the women in the house. One man informed us that it was one of the best hog killings he had ever seen. These men knew their business from A to Z. We can find our way to New York, but we would surely lose our way in the interior of a porker. When all the weighing was done, it was found that the respective animals weighed as follows: 531, 541, 578, 649 and 905 pounds, a grand total of 3204 pounds. The largest hog was two years old last April.

Because of the fine quality of the hogs that were admired by people from the surrounding section it may be of interest that the large hog was a pure Poland China and was sold to the owner by P. T. Milliner, of Accomac C. H., the agent of W. T. Roberts, of Nassawaddox. The four smaller animals were furnished by Tom Smack, of Snow Hill, Maryland and were pure Duracs. The total cost of the five including all feed and purchasing price amounted to $295. The feed consisted of corn, middling, round and sweet potatoes.

The writer is not a farmer, but he wonders if with the resources at hand and with the formation of the new Chamber of Commerce, it would not be feasible to develop the industry of hog raising on the Eastern Shore more than merely for home purposes. If this suggestion is not practical, no harm is done. Here's wishing that the hog may prosper for his ham, his tenderloin and his bacon, which is to be desired even above chicken by a preacher who loves the winged creature, fried Virginia style.