Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1847-12-24
AprtcuIturaI.


frozen VIII afford pretty goou ctHelon
for thuse who have TO buy their hogs, which
is ususry done some time in December
TIE fat should be hard, aud crack about the
iidneys into small squares, like beef suet.
Eschew such whose fat is more tenacious,
inclined to transparency, adhering to the
fingers, aud bearing the complexion OF lard.
The lard Of corn.Ied pork, when tried, on
getting cold, becomes hard and white
We incline 10 the opinion, however, that il
hogs have been lefl to run at large, and can
be taken up in good condition, as they are
sometimes, even fat, from the mast, much
shorter period Of corn-ieeding than is gen.
orally supposed will answer.
And here we may lay il down as gem
eral principle, applicable in this cnse, that
when an animal is fattening TO be kill.
ed, his life should be ken when he gets
at his best, wi,hou, leaving him TO fall of,
either from want Of appetite or food. under
the impression that he may be re.fatted.-
When the hog has got in fne order on mast,
and that is over, give him corn, or corn
meal ard clean water, for two weeks, aud
then give him the knife. And this was the
opinion more than centuries ago, when
people knew much more Of the practice Of
husbandry than we are apt to suppose, only
they did nj understand the reasons why, as
well rs we are beginning to understand
them and the better we do, the more GER
tain will be the results. Thus il was old
Tusser's advice,
Let hog, once fat,
Lose nothing Of that;
When mast Is gone,
Hog falleth anon.
The general practice, however, is TO corn
feed them for four, five, and even six weeks
and this may be best, but il certainly makes
dear meat Of it,
The favor and texture Of all kinds Of
meat is much more quickly changed than
we are apt to imagine. A highly respected
correspondent once made TO US the follow
ing statement In the year l770 resided
in New Jersey, where il was the custom to
take great numbers Of wild pigeons. in
spring-neis. by The assistance Of decay pig.
cons, The flesh Of these birds, when first
taken, is always very dark, and most gen.
orally tough. have seen more than 300
OF them confined and fed in large corn
house, and in one week their flesh has not
only become tender, but as white as we'll
fed chicken" Ii is well known that cattle
fed upon oil-cake cannot be Immediately
killed with advantage but, If kept from il
for two or three days, the oily taste is effect.
ually removed. The late Gen Forman, of
Rose Hill, Maryland, once told US that the |
tasie Of garlic would pass out Of the flesh
and very marrow Of the bullock, if kept
from it tweniy-four hours beiore being kill. |
ed. We are, on the. whole, disposed 10
think that two weeks feeding OH corn would !
be sufficient not only TO dyesi the meat Of
any unacceptable favor, but to harden it,
saying nothing Of the saving to be thereby
accomplished.
We will suppose. then, that You have your
cora;fed hogs, thai have attained the prop.
or consistence Of flesh. by wholesome exer-
else, and the peculiar favor to be derived
from roaming in the woods and waliowing
in the mud = and what nextl
Cutting up.-Ou this point il is deemed
proper to warn against the practice Of some
10 permitting the shoulder to be cut large, |
with some Of the ribs attached because the |
shoulder requires three weeks 10 smoke, |
while the middlings need only two. The
shoulder should therefore lie cut as short as
possible. On the other hand, and on vari.
Gus points, we may here give the cawion
suggested by friend Thomas, who says: "Il
is proper here to mention, that hams are
generally cut too short, causing great loss
Of juice, both in curing and boiling. The
knife should be passed very near The kid
neys, through what is called the small Of
the back There the vessels converge, aud
soon close up in dying"
Norf 10. A
disposition TO apply an overdose. in the lear
OF losing The meat, but the sadness Of meat
depends more on lime Than quantity. For
every 1000 pounds Of meat, three pecks of
salt, with one.ihird or one-half pound Of
saipetre, is sufficient II will be better TO
mix equaIquanliiieso OF Liverpool aud ground
alum salt, for in very soft weather the Liv-
erpool will run OF almos, too quickly, while
in dry, cold weather The alum is too slow
10 do its Office within the proper time
This composition should be well rubbed on
OIL both sides, and then sprinkled thickly on
the cut surface Of the meat. There is no
danger Of oyer-salIing from quantity; il is
length Of time that has that effect but a
larger quantity would be wasted and lei
every farmer aud housewife remember tina,
every little makes nickle." The meat
should now be laid in good cssks--the hans
hrsi, skin downward aud ,hen the shout
ders. chimes, jowls. spare-ribs, sc.
In two weeks the casks are TO he emplied,
and all but hams and shoulders removed,
being sailed sufficiently; while those larger
pieces, the hams aud shoulders, are TO be re-
packed, putting those which seem the least
sailed, lowest anoug the brine. A chanpe