The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-11-25
FARM, GARDES AND HOUSEHOLD.
Convenience that Pay.

On most farms only SO many hogs are
butchered annually as are required for
home consumption. The bulk of the
hog crop is sold on foot either to drov ars
or shippers. The fact that most OF the
pork raised in our country is killed and
cured at the great packing establish
ments accounts in part for the fact that
farmers those who raise the best
OF hogs--have few IL any conveniences
Tor butchering, and are but poorly I'd.
v1sed as to the best wayR and means of
cutting up, packing and curing the
meat. The consequence is that butcher
ing days nre excessively disagreeable
and disgusting ones to everybody con-
cerned, and dreaded ore than any
Stbcr season on the farm. Now, while
mis- work can never be. rendered agree
able, a small expenditure of time and
money secures facilities that greatly
ameliorates its repulsive features and
renders the labor comparatively easy.
1t pays each farmer, whether he has lew
or many hogs, to provide himself with
scalding vessels, gambrels, scatfolds,
sharp knives, etc. As soon as the hogs
are sufficiently fattered every prepar-
alton should be made to take advantage
OF the first suitable weather for this
most onerous of duties. Nothing that
left to be done in the hurry and confusion
attendant on butchering day.
A barrel or cask is a very poor and in
sufficient vessel in which to scald hog.
Something less circumscribed is re-
qulreo Tor g0ol work, to say nothing of
the difficulty of keeping sufficiency OF
water at anything like the proper tenn
perature in it. A good scaldine vessel
within the reach of the average farmer
consists of heavy box six or seven feet
long, thirt5 inches wide at the top and
twenty-four inches deep, with sides
somewhat fiaring. This should be pro-
vided with 3 sheet-iron bottom well
supported on the Under side and set over
a stone or brick foundation in which
there is chamber for making sufficient
fre to readily heat the water In the ves-
SCI above, and by which it can be kept
thoroughly heated for the length of time
required by any number of hogs. At its
rear end should be a pipe or chimney,
and the sides may be banked I'D with
earth. On the bottom of the vat must
be laid wooden strips on a Slated frame
TO prevent the hog from coming in direct
contact with the iron bottom. When
this or similar vessel is not practicable,
box sunk into the ground, or a hogs.
head partly let into the ground and
oi@uNS ihSlihCNs Will duSWtC,
difficulty is experienced with such ar
rangements in keeping the water at the
right temperature, With the latter ar
rangement stout pole or rail scaffold
sloping un from the scalding vessel to
height OF three feet will facilitate the
operation of lifting an cleaning the
carcass. When the scalding vessel first
described is employed it will be well to
build strong platform about six feet
wide and eight feet long on level with
the top of the vat on one side, from
which to seal the hogs, and upon which
they are to be cleaned after scalding. At
the rear end of this the ground should
be graded up even with the platform, or
sloping pl .tform built to facilitate
getting the hogs on to the main platform
after they have been killed. For con-
venience in lowering the hogs into and
lifting out of the scalding water two or
more ropes eight feet or so long are Sc
cured to the side of the platform next
the water, and resting on these the car
cass is lowered or raised with compara-
tive ease by two or three men. The posts
or forks should be so set that strong pole
resting on them will be in part over the
platform about six feet from tne ground,
ana on this hogs can be hung and slipped
along toward either end out of the way
and rinsed down.-NeW York World.
Household Hints.
Beets baked until quite tender, and
eaten hot with butter, pepper and salt,
are very nice-much sweeter and better
than when boiled.
A carelessly kept coffeepot will impart
rank flavor to the strongest infusion
of the bt st Java. Wash the coffeepot
thoroughly every day, and twice week
boil borax water in it for fifteen
minutes.
Mica in stoves (often wrongly called
isingass) when smoked is readily
cleaned by taking it out and thoroughly
washing with vinegar little diluted.
Ii the black does not come off at once,
let it soak a little.
Arrange fatirons on the stove in two
rows, heel and toe, or so that when
ready for a hot fiat YOU can take the
next one in order without loss of time
in trying or sissing them, being sure of
getting the one tnat has been heating
longest.
An exchange says: "Kercsene oil will
soften boots or shoes which have been
hardened by water, and render them as
plable as new." And ruin the leather
at the same time. Castor oil is the
best thing in the world to use on boots
or shoes.
Make the most of the little nutriment
contained in potatoes. They ought to be
steamed or baked. The latter is best. and
soaking in cold water for halt an hour
before putting in the oven is an adyan-
tage. In neither case should the skin be
removed before cooking.
Manurine Orchards
Those who own orchards over twelve
years or more OF age, will find a great
advantage in applying moderate top.
dressing OF old or fresh manure. 1t
seems to have an almost magical effect
on the fruit. The trees will be more
likely to bear every year; they will give
heavier crops, and the fruit will be
finer If there is no manure now to
apply, it will do nearly as we'll to draw
out in winter and spread over the ground
sucl manure as accumulates from the
stabbed animals. On the first thaw or
rain, the earth will absorb all the soluble
or washed portions. The mistake should
be avoided of placing the manure in
heaps at The foot of the trunks, or in
small circles. Trees only twelve years
old, il they have made a fair growth,
have already covered the whole ground
with the network of their roots beneath
the surface. Wood ashes, applied in
addition tn the m anurp are q wauS ueo