The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-10-27

W
RHAPSODY ON TURKEYS AND PIGS.
INSTRUCTIONS HOW TO FEED, KILL AND CURE.
As specimen of clever writing on very
common topics, and investing plain sub
ject with dazzling attractions, the following
by Mr.. T. r. Hazard, of Rhode Island, is
worth reading. 1t is not all ro-
nance either, but true enough to
try. He goes on to explain why
it is that Rhode Island turkeys are
worth in the Boston market, three cents per
pound more than those from any other
locality. The simple reason, according to
this authority, is that they are supplied,
especially in the South part of the State,
with hard Indian corn instead of meal,
barley, oats, or other food, and because they
are picked without being scalded in hot
water and their inwards removed immedi-
ately. There is almost as much difference,
Mr.. h. asserts. in the bird prepared in this
way and one fed otherwise and dipped in
hot water Ito save two minutes labor in
picking) and then left to swelter a week
with the inwards undrawn las is the case
with the most that are brought to the New
York, Philadelphia, and other markets)
as there is between a wood cock and a crow.
So, too, if the hog be fed on hard corn and
water its meat will be as far superior to that
fatted on meal or other soft food-as real
pure Orange county is to distillery or swill
milk. Why are Cincinnati hams so cele.
bretsdf Is their superiority owing to the
method of curing them solely? By no
means; but more to the quality OF the
| flesh, which is made entirely from the
Juices of sweet, hard, wild nuts and I'M
ground Indian corn. Take a turkey that
| has free, wide range, where grasshoppers
are plenty in their season, feed it well with
Indian corn and sweet apples only Off the
4 I-A obr
away from food for "a hours, then (handling
the sacred thing tenderly) tie stout cord
| around Its legs and hang it to a spike in the
beam under your barn, let one artist hold
| its wings firmly in each hand, while another
gently bleeds at the throat; pick it
dry while warm, draw its inwards ditto, let
it hang in a cool place for two nights only,
roast 1t before bright, hot, wood fire, turn
| ing the spit often to keep the juices from
congesting on the surface or elsewhere; set
it on table garnis;htsed, if your fancy OF
ys.bacis rail- and oTsolaH and 'f
you once get taste of that turkey you
viii let every other delicacy before
you go to the dogs rather than
desecrate your palates with trash 30 inferior
to that king of all game corn fed. dry
turkey like Hyperion to Satyr" is this to
the vile thing called by the same name
found in the New York and Philadslphia
markets-fatted on meal, bran, barley, oats,
potatoes, and swill, parboiled before its
| feathers are plucked, and left for days and
| perhaps weeks undrawn, until the DISCUS
| ting mass becomes saturated with its own
ordure and rendered unfit for any stomach
| but that of garbage-eating Hottentot or
worm fed Digger Indian. So too, take q
| twelve-months' old barrow, place him in a
roemy, sunny pen, keep him wholly on
hard corn and pure water, with occasionally
. little salt, until he is fat; kill and dress
him nicely, and salt the chimes down with
plenty of Turks Island salt within thirty
| six hours of his exit, and you will have
| pork to eat with your capon that is firm
j transparent, rosy, sweet, and delicate, one
pound of which would have been priced
more by Epicurus or any other man of gen.
| tie breeding who has a conscientious palate
than thousand of such soft, pallid, fiabby,
tainted slush fed stun as is often placed on
the tables of our first class 10 hotels and
restaurants. So, again, take the hams of
such hog, cure them well with blown salt
and saltpeter, smoke them with clean, fresh
corn cobs (aud nothing else, letting them
| cool of nights) until they attain the COM
plexion of hazelnut, or one of Titian's
most characteristic portraits trifie sub
| dued. Then boil it slowly, and when
thoroughly done let it stand night in the
liouor, and you will have the only thing OF
| beauty" that is worthy to be eaten of the
/ same plate with your Rhode Island turkey
and equal to the best Westphalis, North
Carolina Newboid or Cincinnati bacon.