The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1861-12-03
ECONOMY I'm THE USE OF SALT.

The high price and scarcity of salt, induces us
to offer few suggestions showing how large
quantity Of fresh meat may be cured and pre-.
served with small quantity Of salt.
On the pampas of Brazil, remote from the sea
fat cattle are slaughtered in large numbers, and
much of their flesh is cured by simply drying it
In the sun and open air without any salt whatever.
Dry fresh meat never taints an a dry teaepera-
ture, because that chemical decomposition in the
particles of the flesh which evolves the gases
known as faint or sinking meat, cannot take place
in dry solids having free motion between their
atoms. As this is an important chemical law ap-
plIcable to domestic economy in many cases beside
the cheap and safe preservation of meat, we shall
take the trouble to make it clear and plain to every
reader Suppose farmer makes part of pine
tree into fence rails which are laid on the ground
IN building fence; they will rot in few years
from the presence of moisture and atmospheric
air. A part of the same tree is sawed into plank
and made into a bureau, which, being kept in
dry room will never rot but last many generations
although surrounded by the same atmospheric air
that decompOses the wet fence rails Dry
peaches in dry atmosphere never spoil from any
chemical change; while ripe peaches full of juice
keep no longer than beef-steak in similar condi-
ton.
Lastyear we killed bullock in September, when
the weather was hot and dry. The meat was cured
with trife of salt; and We have some of it now.
which Is as sweet and good as any dried beef can
be. All the larger bones were cut out; and partly
used for making soup and partly for making soap.
The rib pieces were dried with the bones in the
meat, which was generally cut into slices The
drying was done over a wood coal fire. and not over
a wood hre-a distinction worth remembering
Green wood contains some forty per cent of its
weight OF moisture, which forms watery vapor
when burning; and even dry wood has over forty
per cent Of the elements Of water oxygen and
hydrogen, that forms vapour when such wood is
burnt. Coal consists mainly of the carbon in
wood which in burning forms very drying heat.
Most of our readers are familiar with the usual
process of barbecung large pieces of meat over
GOALS. IT such meat were too high above the coal
fire to roast, it would soon dry; when dry q very
little smoking and salt will keep it indefinitely.
Like cured bacon, it should be packed in tight !
casks and kept in dry room
After one kills his hogs if he is short of salt |
let him get the water out of the meat by drying it
over burning Goals as possible, first rubb-
ing 1t in little salt. Shade trees around meat
house are injurious by creating dampncss Dry
meat with a coal fire after it is smoked You NAV
dislike to have meat SO dry as is suggested but
your own observation will tell you that the dryest
hams generally keep the best Certainly. sweet
dry bacon is far better than moist tainted bacon:
and our aim is simply to show how meat may be
cured, and long kept with tri1e of salt when war
has rendered the latter very scarce and expensive
SUDDEN DEATHs.-Dr. Hail. in his Journal of