The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-12-01
Hints for Farmers Household and Garden
Our Receipt for Curing Meat,

W
Hints for Farmers Household and Garden.
Our Receipt for Curing Meat.
As the season has arrived when cur
ing meat is in order, we republish as of
old, our famous receipt for curing beef,
pork, mutton, hams, &c, as follows:
To one gallon Of water, take II
pounds of salt, ! pound of sugar, J
ounce of saltpetre, J ounce of potash.
Omit the potash unless you can obtain
the pure article. All druggists keep it.
In this ratio the pickle can be in
creased to any quality desired. Let
these be boiled together until ell the
dirt from the sugar rises to the top and
is skinned off Then throw it into a
tub to cool, and when cold pour it over
your beef or pork. The meat must be
well covered with pickle, and should
not be put down for at least two days
after killing, during which time it
should be slightly sprinkled with pow
dered saltpetre, which removes all the
surface blood, &c, leaving the meat
fresh and clean. Some omit boiling
the pickle, and find it 20 answer well,
though the operation Of boiling purl-
fies the pickle by throwing off the dirt
always to he found in salt and sugar.
If this receipt is strictly followed, it
will require only single trial to prove
its superiority over the common way
or most ways of putting down meat,
and will not soon be abandoned for
any other. The meat is unsurpassed
for sweetness, delicacy and freshness of
color.
LOOK TO THE IMPLEMENTS.
We desire, at this season of the year,
to say that it is lamentable fact that
many farmers lose as much from want
of proper care of implements and ma
chinery as from the actual wear-and-tear
of them. Repeated wetting and drying
injure, sooner or later, any kind of
wood work the moisture getting into
the cracks soon begins the work of de-
cay. This may be prevented by the
timely and occasional application of
some cheap paint. Much has been said
and written upon the value of tool
houses, and it is hardly necessary for
us to add our mite to the general array (;
but providing a Toulouse is not all
that should be done, if the shovcls,
spades and forks are brought into it
with the dirt sticking to them, and in
that condition are allowed to remain
through the winter, or until they are
again needed. All practical farmers
know how much better bright plow
turns the furrow, how much easier it is
on the team and driver, and yet they
will bring their plows and harrows in
every fall with the dirt thick upon
them, and let them be so until again
wanted, entailing great deal of in
jury.
There are various mixtures which
might be applied to the iron to prevent
rusting, the cheapest of which is com
mon (unsaltedD grease A better article
may be found by melting together sis
pounds of flesh mot salted) lard ant
two of rosin. An old iron pot is 4;
good thing to keep and compound the
mixture in. AS soon as a tool is done
being used for the season, clean it of
and give it a coat of this mixture, an(
even if it remains undisturbed 70
years, it will come out as bright a
when put away. Implements properl,
cared for will not only last nearly twic
as long as when this is not the case
but, as we said before, they are far bet
ter in every way
PRESERVING GARDEN FLOWERS.
The time has come when we shal
have to part with many garden pet
which have given us so much pleasur
during the growing season. Such part
ings always bring regret; and in spit
of "nowhere to keep Them people wi
try if something cannot be done a
, anyrate. 1t is believed that it is not s
much the degree of cold which kill
usually hardy plants, as it is the dryin
, influences of very cold atmospher,
, and hence many find very littl
covering sufficient TO save plants, if tn
+ covering be such as to keep them froI
, drying out.
. We know, for instance, that n rasl
berry or a grape vine, which woul
probably be destroyed if left abov
, ground in its natural way, can be safel
, preserved by being buried just beneat
! the surface and it is found that rose
| bent over to the ground and covere
, with earth, so shaped as to throw o
! the water will enable rather tend,
kinds to get through the winter III
| scathed, A friend once told us thi
, verbenas were much harder tina
people supposed. He put dry leav,
/ oyer the bed and then covered Il
+ leaves with board, and they did n,
injure by the hardest frost.
l We should suppose, however, tn
e green succulent matter would rot |
e confinement, as well as hard wood g
injured by frost and we would su
y gest to all who may be disposed to pl
= serve anything in this way the impol
|, ance of cutting away half ripe wood
It succulent green foliage efore entom
ing the plants for winter,
II Iampas grasses, the ostrich teathe
like spikes of which are so common
II seen in gardens, cause much discussi
s. as to the best means to protect. Sor
e take them up and put them into a t
D. of earth and keep them in a &C
s. cellar; but those who succeed in kes
W ing them over winter in the op
o ground have finer plants and larl
d and more numerous spikes. Some
r our neighbors turn a barrel over /
is stocks to keep out the water, filling
ID dry leaves all about the plant a
G. though sometimes the plants will
10 lost treated in this way, generally it
ir a success. The "rocket" plant d,
well on either of the plans named
,h the pampas grass.
Of Dahlias, tuberoses, gladiolus a
o. such like summer Towering roots, In
u is no trouble with. All they require
M In ha takan mn "a anon % tho fret 81,