It just lets the air get to the skin better , especially helps when the hair is really thick with the winter coat such as these I have been working on lately. It really helps, they will dry in a couple of day if the sun shines with the x's cut, without it take 4 or 5 days to get dry enough to scrape. As it dries I will cut more in the dry areas to speed up the process.
To be honest this is a bad time of the year in Tennessee to do hides, I usually start them in Jan/Feb when it is low humidity and usually clear and cool but My good friend Jesse after being gone for 7 years is back and he just couldn't wait, so I jumped in also. You also have to remember I work outside so that makes a big difference dealing with the weather. :)I am constantly dragging the racks under the roof and when the sun shines back outside in the sun. O well ,retired and nothing better to do I suppose.
I love doing them but I can tell you it is a labor of love because it is a lot of hard work, I have a lot of people that want to do theirs until they do 1 and that usually winds them up.
some don't even finish 1 before they throw in the towel.
Pappy