Splitting.
—Great care should be exercised in this particular work, especially on “hard-bone” cattle. They should split the bone down centrally, the entire length of the carcass. Great care should be taken to see that they split the short fin-bone in the neck, thereby giving the neck-splitter a chance to start centrally with his work.
FIG. 41.—SPRING BEEF SPREADER.
Splitting Cleavers.
—Care should be exercised to see that these are in the very best condition to do the work. They should be ground as thin as possible, yet not so thin that they will shatter. If the splitters do not break a chopper occasionally, it is evidence that these are not ground as thin as they should be, and, unless they are, it is impossible to do good work in splitting. The workmen should, however, have choppers ground different thicknesses for different boned cattle, and never use thin-ground choppers on cows or hard-boned steers.
FIG. 42.—VIEW SHOWING BEEF CARCASSES BEING SPLIT AND HUNG ON TROLLEY.
Clearing Out and Hide Dropping.
—In clearing the shanks the workmen should look carefully to see that they do not score the hide, or make any miscuts in the meat. They should also save the veins in the under side of forward shoulder, for when these are cut they continue to purge, making bad-looking shanks. In hide dropping care should be used to see that the workmen do not score or cut hides, make miscuts in the neck, or leave any unnecessary fat on the hide. They should also skin hides as low down as possible on the necks.