The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-09-26
THE PRESS.
THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
Market Preparations.


fered by those who send. farm produce TO dis
tant markets; occasioned mainly by unskill-
ful preparation. How shall the work be
properly done? is an inquiry often heard,
and 1t can be answered satisfactorily only by
practical men. The accompanying directions
have been condensed from the circular of
New York house; and although designed for
that market they are just as valuable for our
own state, and as instructive to the individ
val shipper as to the combined Patrons of
Husbandry, or a Board of Trade. By giving
them careful perusal, and paying special at
ten:ion to the details, thousands of dollars
may be saved this fall in our state.
FRESH MEATS.
Beef-Hang mp by the hind leg. When
taking of the skin, great care should be TAX
en- not to get any hairs on the meat. As
soon as dressed take damp cloth and care.
fully wipe off all the blood, and then take
some tallow from the inside and grease it all
over on the outside. Do this while the ami
NAL heat is still in the body. When you cut
it up split it in the .m;ddle all the way up.
Be careful to do this in workmanlike man
ner and not haggle it in anyway; then cut
into quarters. Leave all the ribs on the fore
front of the Kidneys, but not through them.
Cover with strong muslin, mark plain, and
ship by express. Beef weighing 200 lbs. and
over to the quarter sells best.
Hog Dressed CaIres-After killing, the
calf should be hung up by the hind legs, and
entrails, haslet oliver, etc., and outlet re.
moved. The skin should be left on. Do not
split the calf through the breast-bone or hind
quarters; cut off the head, also the legs, close
TO the knee-ioint. Carefully wipe out the
blood with damp cloth. Let the calf hang
until perfectly cool. Fasten tag between
the hind legs and ship by express.
Mutton should be dressed the same as veal,
with the exception that the shin should be
removed. The remarks in regard to cover
ing and shipping beef will also apply to NUT
ton.
Dressed Hogs Take particular pains to
have them thoroughly scraped. Split all
the way down from the throat to the tail.
Don't cut into the back bone, remove all the
entrails, haslet and tongue. Small hogs sell
best,
Great care should be taken TO prevent its
burning. Have it clean and white. Pack in
clean, solid barrels and ship by freight.
DRESSED POULTRY.
Secure plump, well-fatted BIRDS Bleed
them in the mouth or throat. Scald enough
to make the feathers come off easily; pick
both feathers and pin-feathers all off nicely,
taking great care not to hruise or break the
skin in any way. If any get accidentally
bruised or have the skin broken, sell or use
at home, as they would hurt the sale of the
whole lot. Leave all the entrails in and
heads and feet on. Immediately after they
are dressed dip once or twice in hot water,
then in ice water, then hang in cool place
where they will dry of and get stiff before
packing Pack in boxes are barrels, in nice,
clean rye straw. If this cannot be obtained,
dry oat straw will do. Old dry goods boxes,
holding from 100 to 200 pounds, are the most
desirable style of package. Very fancy poul-
more readily, if each bird is wrapped up sep
arateiy in nice white wrapping paper before
being packed in straw. Be sure to pack solid
so they will not bruise in transit. Pack with
breast down. Poultry prepared in this way
always finds ready market, while poor, half
dressed, sweaty Caused by packing while
warm) and bruised lots will not sell at any
time. Very large, fat, dry-pcked turkeys
and chickens sell we'll to limited extent,
They should be picked Immediately after kill
ing and hung up until the animal heat is en-
tirely out before packing
EGGS.
They may appear sound, but if they have
been laid over week or two the motion of
the cars mIddles them and renders a large
proportion unfit for use. If possible they
should be shipped within week after they
are laid. Procure strong, new barrels; pack
in kiln dried, fine-cut straw or wheat chaff.
Never use buckwheat or 0at chaff. Oats may
be used for packing, but some customers will
not buy them, and they increase the rate
frpiOht M oOp Al,
use of straw or chat. Put about six inches
of the packing in the bottom of the barrel
about an inch from the slaves; cover each
layer with about an inch of packing rub
well between the eggs with the hand pack
to within about five inches of the top; then
ill up with packing so high that the head
will have to be pressed into its place by
lever or other mechanical power, thus hold
ing the contents firm so that they will not
loosen in the barrel. Eggs are often broken
by crowding too many in barrel; go to IS
doz. are quite sufficient. Put Al doz, in the
first layer: increase proportionally until
you get 81 doz. in the two middle LAYERS:
then decrease the number. The count should
be carefully and honestly made and plainly
marked on the barrel. Short count is always
detected, and dealers avoid fraudulent brands.
Mark your name and shipping directions
plainly and neatly on every barrel, and ship
by express or fast freight. Send shipping re-
cepts by mail Don't send any stale eggs;
they will lose you money and ipjure the rep
utation OF your brand.
CHEESE.
The tendency of the times is to make
cheese that ripen quickly and spoil soon after
they ripen. This is seriously iDjuring the
sale OF American cheese abroad and should
be changed-the sooner the better,
The shipping trade, to which we have to
look for customers to take the majority of
cheese manufactured in this country prefer
to have them close made, j. e. without any
pin holes, straw color, mellow, clean flavor
full cream and cheddar shape, 10 inches high
by 15 inches in diameter.) This we think,
the most desirable kind tc make. The per
centage oil shrinkage is not so heavy, nor
the expense of boxing so great as on smaller
sizes.
A great many cheese makers scald too
high. This has similar effect as Swimming
the milk, the cream passing off into the
whey. Our best makers cook slowly and at
temperature not over "a to 81 deg, and use
sufficient acid to give the cheese solidity.
BUTTER
Our experience on dairy farm leads us to
the belief that the milk should be strained
Into nat pans! and placed in cool cellar
each cows milk being kept separate. In this
way we get more cream from the same
amount OF milk than by any otner we ever
saw tried. Skim soon after it begins to sour
labout the time it begins to thicken in the
botton) and churn the cream. In churning
use as little warm water as possible; during
hot weather none is required. 1t will be
found advisable to add as much cold water
as you have cream at the commencement of
the churning. When taken from the churn
the butter should be carefully washed in
order to remove all the buttermilk, which, |
if left in. soon SOUS and spoils the butter. |
After washing, it should be sailed with fine |
salt fashions 'factory filled" is the best) |
and allowed to stand several hours in cool |
place before it is worked and packed. Work |
only enough to thoroughly mix in the salt as |
too much working spois the grain. Don't |
send any butter to market that has more |
than one color, if churning is accidentally |
scalded, or from any other cause is lighter |
than the balance of the package, i. should |
be left out, as a single pound of light-colored |
butter will decrease the value of a whole |
package to 10 cents per lb.-quite an item. |
Half frkin tubs, made throughout of white |
oak, with fiat covers and round hickory |
hoops, are decidedly the best packages for /