THE PRACTICE IN VOGUE FORMERLY in this country was to cut out the hams and cure them separately; then to remove the ribs, which were roasted as "spare-ribs," and, curing the remainder of the side, call it a "gammon of bacon.

The bones, with part of the meat left on them, are divided into spare-ribs, griskins, and chines.

[Illustration: SPARE-RIB OF PORK.]

A spare-rib of pork is roasted in the same manner as above, and would take 1-1/2 hour for one weighing about 6 lbs.

If they would use no other bucklers in war but shields of brawn, brandish no swords but sweards of bacon,[202] trail no spears but spare-ribs of pork, and instead of arquebuss pieces discharge artichoke-pies: toss no pikes but boiled pickrels, then Appetitus would rouse up his crest, and bear up himself with the proudest.

So I began at the bacon to soften down these obstaclesthere were nearly 150 pounds of it, besides a spare-rib hanging from another joistand suggested how much better off they were than ten thousands of poor people in the world.

"Ay, if you were to try a beef-steak off his rump or spare-rib, ye'll find it more like the absynth I use in the kitchen than the flesh of a capon or three-year old stot.

An' then, on top o' that, the nigger Dicey, she come in an' 'lowed she had dreamed that night about eatin' spare-ribs, which everybody knows to dream about fresh pork out o' season, which this is July, is considered a shore sign o' death.

"They'll travel ten miles to take a spare-rib or a piece of fresh beef to a new neighbor.

SPARE-RIB OF PORK Is usually accompanied by apple sauce to correct the richness of the gravy.