Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1866-10-24
CURING MEATS.

Massachusetts, Hams writes "I cure
and smoke $4,000 to 100, 900 pieces year,
and know my business. Meat cured in
pickle made Of water is not as good, and
only used because more profitable and less
laborious The favor of cured meats de-
pends mainly upon the kind of molasses
used. The best temperature is 40 deg
frozen meat will not cure, and if above sc
deg. viii be liable to faint For 100 lbs.
meat, take 8 lbs. salt, quart best molasses
or 2 lbs. sugar, ] h. saltpetre, ounces
ground alum mix and rub on the feshy
side of the meat placed in pans, so as to
keep all the mixture; repeat the rubbing
every three days, rubbing in thoroughly
For large pieces, and cold weather, sixty
days viii be required if mild weather, fifty
days, and fifteen days less for small pieces
The skin and fat of hams should be cut
clean from the face, as far down as the
second joint, to allow the salt to enter The
: recipe for keeping meat, viz in ashes,
given In September Agriculturalist is good
Smoking is of no benefit it is only quick
way of drying. Most people would prefer
drying without smoke IF you smoke, use
only walnut or yellow birch wood, or mahOg-
any saw-d dust. Be sure your meat Is we'll
cooled off before sailing ten days after xii
ling Is better than ten hours. -AgTiculturist.
AUTUMN MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT Or
CHARDs.-When it is desirable to save the
fruit of pear or apple trees without being
bruised, all the small stones, sticks, pieces
of brush, and every such thing that will in
jure the fruit should be removed from the
orchards early in September, so that good
coat of grass may cover the ground before
thick covering of grass is over the ground
the fruit that falls will not be bruised unless
it should strike alimb or fall on other fruit.
Ifthe ground has been plowed, or rooted
over by swine, let it be ieveled off with har-
rows and hoes, and If lumpy pass heavy
roller over it. Then SOW liberal dressing
of orchard grass seed, or timothy seed If
it is not desirable to stock down an orchard
and person has an abundance of straw OF
any kind. let it be spread on the ground be-
meath the fruit, so as to cover the entire sur
face, about two inches deep. Salt hay is
excellent for such purpose. When on
visit to New Jersey, short time since we
saw large numberof fruit trees, and boughs
Of which were bending beneath ehe heavy
burden of fruit Salt hay had been spread
beneath the trees, SO that none of the fruit
might fail OF the hard ground If that
precaution is not taken, the fruit which falls
to the ground will usually be badly bruised
FATTENING SwINE.-Many farmers do
not commence fattening their swine till Oc
tober. This is not the best system of hog
management Hogs that are to be slaugh-
tered about the 1st of next December or
January, should be well fed, with serupulous
regularity, three times every day 1t is not
best to s'stuf' fattening swine in the former
part of the season, unless they have attained
desirable size. Hogs should be kept grow
ing rather than to allow them to subsist al
most entirely on grass, till within two months
Of the time when they are to be slaughtered
and then crowd them by heavy feeding
The quantity of feed should be increased
from week to week, as the animals will take
larger amount. Furthermore, it is inf
niteIy better to have all kinds grain ground
quite fire before it is fed out. 1t is also an
excellent practice, when feeding fattening
swine, to provide three vessels, each one to
contain about as much as is fed at one time
Then let the meal be softened by soaking
in water about twenty-four hours before it is
fed. A still better practice is to scaId meal
f aIl kinds previous to feeding it.