The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-10-15
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.

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has an inclosure about six feet square
in the clear, and six feet high. The
walls are formed of old refuse timbers
thrown carelessly together, with no re-
gard of form or comeliness. The roof is
made OF hemlock boards. The entire
cost of the building did not exceed five
dollars, and, practically considered, it is
a success; not ambitious Of containing
thirty-fve loads of ice, but simply five
loads. Ten years this little, unpre-
tentious house has been used for ice, and
never yet dishonored draft upon its
crystal deposit. About six inches of
sawdust was spread upon the ground
floor, and in packing a space of about
nine inches was left between the ice and
the walls of the building for sawdust,
and about nine inches of sawdust was
spread upon the top of the ice, and the
thing was fixed. The three main prin-
ciples observed here will always insure a
supply of ice, viz: good ventilation, good
drainage and plenty of sawdust. With
these rules adhered to, corner of any
old pen-shed will prove quite efficient in
preserving ice.
SMALL HoGs.-Some sensible feeder of
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advantage to be claimed in large hogs.
There never was monster hog which
did not make the man who raised him
pay for every pound he weighed. They
don't furnish an ounce of meat gratis,
but charge full price for every atom of
their carcass. When slaughtered it takes
a long time to get one cool to the mar
row bone, and when the hams are put in
salt, il is troublesome to finish them to
the centre. Four hundred pounds live
weight is as large as hogs should be- in
order to make good bacon. Beyond this
size, there is loss somewhere-either the
feeder, the butcher or consumer is
beaten, and as general thing, every one
who has anything to do with the big
hog, will find, if he observes closely, thS0
they are not so profitable as the smooth,
little hog of only, three hundred and
fifty pounds weight. Small head, with
little, upright ears, and legs and feet
delicate to perfection, are marks which
indicate the greatest amount of flesh for
any given amount of food consumed, and
more rapidly draw the attention of the
butcher.
CRAMMING PoULTRY.-Itis altogether
a'vitiated taste that creates demand for
over-fattened meat. There is 10 nutri-
ment in fat, and with the large consump-
tion of sugar, syrup, and starchy food
that is common among us the necessities
of the system for carbonaceous food are
fully, if not over supplied. The use of
excessively fat food then is waste of
material, and it probably induces some of
the bilious disorders which are SO COM
mon. With regard to poultry these re-
marks are especially applicable. The
markets of the cities are filled with fowls
that are lined with fat, a useless addition
that is a loss to the consumer, and its
production has been at the expense of
waste of feed to the feeder. Besides,
hOuse-keepers complain of these over-fat
fowls that they are deficient in delicacy
of flavor, and are coarse and greasy, thus
losing in quality as well as in weight.
This matter is in the hands of farmers
themselves to remedy. They alone de-
eide as to what degree of fatness their
fowls shall be brought, or rather not
knowing exactly how fat they are, they
continue to feed them much too long for
their own profit. A very thin fowl can
be brought into good condition for the
table by three weeks feeding. Generally
a fowl from grain-stubble or a barn
yard at time when waste grain is scat
tered about literally, as well as at other
times, when the housewife undertakes
the feeding of the poultry, is sufficiently
fat for the market, without extra feed.
If poultry is marketed at the age of two
years, and none older than that kept, the
quality of the flesh will be all that can he
desired, without any cramming or extra
feed, and the extra fat that is laid upon
an old fowl is no addition to its goodness,
but rather adds to its bad qualities. A
good judge of poultry looks to the age of
fowl, and passes by the old birds that
have been crammed to fit them for
market.
CANNING FRUIT.-I should like to say
few words to the inexperienced on can
ming fruit. / remember at our State Fair
few years ago, hearing man lecture
on the preservation of fruit; one thought
in particular impressed me-that "the
fine flavor of any fruit, once lost, could
not be regained." So when fruit is heated
in open vessels, and the air is full of
delicious aroma, your fruit is fast losing
its best quality. This is why it is best to
fill the Jars with fruit before cooking.
Another reason why it is best to heat in
jars, you avoid crushing, and the liquor
is rich and clear. In canning peaches or
pears. it is very satisfactory if you have
retained the small or broken pieces for
present consumption, and only filled
your cans with large, shapely quarters:
The same with grapes and berries. If
scl, Nn h. .asA a,.
of each fruit, do not spoil it with poor
sugar. 1t is a good way to put what nice
white sugar you wish to use through the
day, into the porcelain kettle in the
morning, with little water, and bring
it to boil, and skim it, then when your
bottles or jars of fruit have been heated
fill up with the hot syrup. For lack of
anything better, take large copper
wash boiler, place a piece OF straw mat
ting or two thicknesses of paper over the
bottom, and then arrange the cans, as
many as it will hold, and keep upright.
You may need some twigs beneath and
around them to keep all firm and in
place. Fill with warm water to the necks
of the jars, cover them with lids and put
on the boiler-cover to keep in the steam.
Berries need but few minutes of boiling
heat. BY this method, if you do leave
them a triae too long, they are not spoiled
by being boiled to pieces. Green corn is
very nice cooked with sliced ripe potatoes,
two or three hours, slowly, on the back
of the stove, and seasoned with sweet
cream, salt and pepper when warmed for
the table. Corn and tomatoes are better
cooked in the porcelain kettle, and should
be canned and sealed up in bright tin
cans.-Comtry Gentleman.
Houselsold Helps.