(Copyrighted by B. Heller & Co.; Reprint Forbidden.)
Answer.—As a general rule, wool is pulled from pelts by concerns that make this work a business. The method used is sweating and steaming the pelts. The pelts are hung on racks in a room into which live steam is turned. The pelts are kept hot for a number of days and the heat loosens the wool. It can then be easily pulled from the skin. The wool is then dried and baled.
You could not adopt this method profitably on a small scale, but we will give you a method that you can use which will prove a satisfactory way for small handlers of pelts who desire to pull the wool.
Make a pile of your pelts, wetting the pelts as you pile them. Cover the pelts with blankets or gunny sacks and allow the pile of pelts to sweat. The wet pelts being covered up tight, will become hot and sweat. This will loosen the wool and it can be readily pulled off.
Another way of removing the wool from pelts is to spread the pelts upon the floor, with the wool down next to the floor. On the skin side of the pelts place crushed fresh lime and dampen the lime. This wetting of the lime will cause it to slake and soak into the skin. The wool will be loosened by this treatment of the pelts and it can be easily pulled. This method, however, will spoil the skins and render them of no value.
The simpler method of handling the green hides by a butcher or other dealer who has only a small business equipment is to use the sweating process. By this method both the wool and the skins can be saved and sold. Ordinarily, by the sweating method the pelts are piled one on top of the other, some water sprinkled on each pelt, and the piles made from two feet to three feet high, and allowed to sweat. Great care must be taken not to let the pelts sweat too much, otherwise the hide will decay and in pulling the wool the hide will tear. As soon as the wool is sufficiently loosened from the pelt it should be pulled. The skins can then be salted and cured, or the skins can be put into a brine and cured. After the skins are thoroughly cured they are ready to be shipped to the tannery.
HOW TO MAKE PEPPERED BEEF
Question.—G. E. O’F. writes—Can you furnish me with a recipe for making (Postromer) Peppered Beef? I am a user of your goods and will be under obligations to you for this information.
(Copyrighted by B. Heller & Co.; Reprint Forbidden)
Answer.—We do not clearly understand your question. If you mean cured Briskets that are covered with red pepper, or Paprika Compound, and then smoked, you can proceed as follows: