The National tribune., 1882-12-28
RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.

Ben: Perley Poore, in his "F Farm Talks" for
tbe .4mericaR CrRirGfor gives the following
method as that used by Mrs. Henry Clay in
curing her once famous Ashland hams
For every ten hams, medium sized, she
took one pound of ssltpetre, two pounds OF
brown sugar three and one-half pounds of fine
salt mixed all these together and rubbed each
ham well with it. They were then packed IN
a tight box, where they remained in cool out
house for three weeks. They were then put
into the pickle tub, which was nearly filled
with a pickle strong enough TO bear an egg.
After the hams had remained in this pickle for
three weeks they were taken out, rubbed by
hand with salt. and then hung mp 10 dry IN the
air. They were then taken to the smokc-houSe,
where a fire was kept up with green walnut
branches for three weeks Each ham was then
Sewed up in canvas, whitewaShed, dried, and
then whitewashed again. They were then
hacked in hickory ashes; lcachcd ashes OF
course, or otherwise the fat would have been
absorbed.
Another Kentucky recipe for ten hams was
to take three pounds of Liverpool salt, two
quarts Of molasseS, half pound of saltpetre, and
n small hit Of alum, all well mixed together.
in these the hams were to be soaked two days,
at the end Of which time they were to be well
rubbed with the mixture. They were then
10 be packed in tight cas6 and let lay five
or six days, then taken out. turned. and packed
down again, sprinlding them lightly each time
with salt. After remaining a week longer.
strong pickle was to be made, and when cold
poured over the hams. After having remained
in this pickle a fortnight they were ready for
the smoke-house."
EXPERIMENTS IN POTATO CULTURE.
The following experiments with potatoes ara
recorded by the director Of the New York EN
perimental Station:
Plats were marked out and kept under diff
ferent conditons-ridging in some cases; level
culture in others: ridging and the intervals
filled with straw, the seed laid upon the sur
face and covered with six inches of straw the
seed laid upon the surface and covered with
four inches of sand in one case and with six
inches of sand in another. In the plat of pota-
toes covered with straw we had the conditions
of GOODNESS and moisture for both tUber and
root during the early season of growth. dry
ness and coolnesS for the tuber during the
later portion of growth. In the mulchcd in
teTyals We had the potato tuber occupying the
ridges where the soil was measuTably dry and
warm. and the ground within which the roots
penetrated projected from evaporation and
from the heat of the sun by the mulch In the
plats covered with sand we had dryneSs and
heat for the tuber, cOolnesS and moisture for
the roots. The seed used in these comparisons
was the whole potato. The yield calculated
TO the 100 hills may he represented in the fol-
lowing table:
Ordinary level culture~......-..... 6l lbs in all
Ordinary ridge culture......-.......... q a"
In ridges and the intervals muched 1I5 I"
Potatoes covered with straw......... lO3 "
Potatoes covered with sand-.......... 1879 g
KEEPING BUTTER.
An exchange remarks that many suggestions
are made from time TO time as 10 the proper
place for keeping butter sweet for many a
long day" clean, cool cellar is suggested,
an ice-chest or cold storage. In theory, so far
as a low temperature tends to retard decompo-
sition, these suggestions all tend in the right
direction. The eminently proper place, how
ever, and one which is within the reach of all.
is to keep the butter an brine By placing the
prints or balls of butter in a tub or other vessel
nearly filled with brine, or by pouring brine
into the tubs nearly filled with butter the air
Is excluded, while the salted water is untavor-
Bble 10 the germs of fermentation or 10 the
process of decomposition. When a consumer
Guys tub Of butter, the consumption of which
"a his family may require weeks, he should
At once prepare j strong brine of clean salt and
pure water, filling the tub Of butter with it.
The use Of weight is necessary; otherwise the
butter viii float IN the tub. The consumer
who buys balls or prints of butter for future
use should secure stone jar with a supply of
brine, III order 10 secure perfect preservation.
With this precaution taken, cool place of
storage is, OF course, far superior TO u warm one
CARE OF LAWNS.
1t is a usual practice with many persons to
spread coarse manure over their lawns and
grass plats about this time OF the year. This is
particularly noticeable in city lots and Oh the
small lawns Of suburban residences where
neatness and cleanliness should be maintained
81 all seasons, but when thus daubed over with
manure look like 4 field prepared for the plow
and gives of an 0dor Of the BARNARD which
penet1ates everywhere and for many weeks
When necessary 10 top-drcss a lawn with
manure, the material should be so decaved as
TO be free Of any seeds of weeds having vitality;
but there is no application equal to an annual
slight covering Of soil from any ordinary field.
spread equally over the grass so that the rrirti-
cles may fill up all ntersticeS between the
plants or spaces which are now left blank bv
the decay Of summer grasses. When the grass
roots commence growth in spring they imme-
dlately come IN contact with the fresh earth
and the sod becomes closer and thicker in con-
sequence. In this way lawns are maintained
III greenness and yigor al all seasons.
ALsIKE cLovER. (Trifolium hyJridu,a.)
This clover receives the name "hybridum"
from Its apparently possessing characters be-
tween those Of the red and the white OF Dutch
clovers, but its hybridity is not recognized bv
botanlsts. 1t differs from red clover IN having
pinkish blush flowers. which turn TO a pale red
color as they approach maturity. Its shoots
are less robust. but retain their succulencv
longer than those of the red clover and trail
along the ground like white clover Its roots
are hbrOuS, and it is considered better adapted
10 moist or wet soils than are other clovers. 1t
Is well adapted for grazing purposes, as il
quickly throws out young shoots when eaten
down by cattle. II is also harder than red
clover and makes good hay: but. from its
tendency 10 fall down and lodge" il should
be sown with timothy or some other strong
growing grass "a a support, 10 prevent il from
rottin% on the ground. il is a biennial plant
native Of Sweden, and is sometimes called
Swedish clover.
HOPS PROFITABLE CROP.
1t Is said that the profits on hops are greater
than on any other farm product. This year
the prices started al fifty cents per pound, and
gradually increased until eighty cents was
Offered and then jump was made to one dol
lar 1t costs only from ten to fifteen cents to
cultivate and raise pound of hops This in
Cludes the interest on the land, labor, picking
drying and getting 10 market. The profits to
dealers this year have been commensurate with
the good fortune Of the growers. The average
profit III selling hops has been fifteen cents per
pound. 4 small section of country in central
New York, embracing the counties Of Otsego
Oneida, Madison, Schoharic and Montgomery.
Is the greatest hOp-grOwng region of the
United States. So far as quality and price are