The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-10-10
BUYING AND SELLING
rhe Practice of Farmers to Sell when
Products Are Cheap and Buy When They
Are Dear.

country sold few things and bought but
few. They not only fed but clothed the
members Of their families from the
products Of their farms. This course
was necessary, because markets were
few, the means of transportation poor,
and money scarce. With the intro
duction of railroads the establishment
Of markets, and the great increase of
circulating medium. great changes were
produced in the affairs of the farmer in
relation to trade. In msny parts of the
country 1t has become the habit of most
farmers to sell almost everything they
produce on their places, and to buy al
most everything that is needed to sup
ply the wants of their families OF
course, this plan must be pursued
by farmers who make specially
of raising cotton, tobacco. hops.
broom-corn, and some other crops
that are not food products. They must
| buy theft meat breadstuffs and fruit
| the same as merchants, manufacturers
and artisans do, or else devote por-
ton of their farms to the production
that can be used for feeding the family.
In many cases they will find it to their
advantage to buy of neighboring farm
ers and gardeners poultry, eggs, vege-
tables and fruits, and to Obtain their
flour, meal. dairy products and meat
from regular dealers. Such. however
is not ordinarily the case with persons
engaged in general farming combined
with stock raising. They will find it to
their advantage to raise nearly all things
that can be used in feeding the family
and to hold back from market a suf-
ficient quantity to last till more can
be produced. That they do not ordi-
narily pursue this course is observable
id many wavs. During the fall and
winter live and dead meat of all kinds
is being forwarded from the country to
large cities, especially those that are
extensively engaged in Strengthening
the case that rich farming region is
almost entirely drained of meat at the
winter holiday season. If the weather
is cold enough is frozen to supply the
family till about the LIST of March.
During the spring and summer smoked,
dried and sailed meats, and often fresh
beef and mutton preserved by ice, are
sent from cities to country towns and
sold to farmers. During the present
season great alarm has been created in
numerous country towns by sickness
caused by eating unwholesome meat.
In each instance the meat has been traced
to some packing-house located id or
near large city. The meats that pro-
duced sickness were eaten in country
towns which furnish more meat than
the inhabitants can consume.
There is no gain in selling meat in
the fall and winter and buying it back
the next spring and summer, even if
there is no considerable advance in
prices. But there is a large advance in
price. As rule, prices rule low when
| a large quantity of any article is put on
the market within a short time, as is
the case with beef and pork at the close
of the fattening season in the fall.
They rule high when the market no
longer receives supplies and spectators
have every opportunity to arrange COM
binations. Farmers, scattered over q
large extent of territory, can not combine
to put up the price Of beef and pork,
but the persons who have collected
them in great city can readily do So
Meat is constantly rising in price from
the time it leaves the farmer in the fall
till it comes back the next spring OF
summer. One freight bill must be paid
to send it to market and another te
bring it back again. From the time il
leaves the farmer till it returns it passes
through several hands, all of whom ex-
act some profit. Insurance. inspection
dues. and commissions must be paid.
The cost of the packages is also added
to the price of the meat. Ordinarily
the meat that was sold in the fall fol-
five cents per pound can not be bought
back six months afterward for twice
that sum.
In many cases farmers sell the hogs
and steers they raise and buy back the
meat thew furnish because they do mo-
understand how to dress the animals
have no good cellars or smoke-houses
Every farmer should understand how
to slaughter and dress animals. and
how to cure their flesh. If he is ignor
ant in regard to these matters he
should embrace the first opportunity tc
acquire the needed information. II
NAV be impractical for all the farmers
in portion of country that has beer
recently settled to have cellars suitable
for the keeping of meat. Severa
farmers, however, can unite in con.
| structing a cellar in some favorable
location that can be used for storing
the meat packed by all of them. Each
barrel can be marked with the name
of the owner, and the cellar can bt
opened at specified times for the &C
commodation of those interested in it
| There are few farmers who are too pool
to own smoke-house, and such a build
ing will serve not only for curing
meat, but for storing it. The deliciou,
hams. shoulders, and side bacon one i.
certain to find in most parts of tht
| Southern States are now sailed. smoked
and kept in the same building. Dry
salt and sugar were applied to them
They were slowly smoked and left hang
ing in the smoke-house till they were
wanted for use. No cloth or paper
I coverings were required to keep flies
and other insects from them. as the in
terror of the smoke-house is kept en-
| tirelv dark. As corn-cobs or hickor,
bark are generally used in the South fol
smoking meat it has a delightful flavor
Occasi onally during the spring and
| SuultHer II lire Is klnuleu III Un6 SMOKE
house, especially if the weather is damp
for the purpose of insuring the preser.
walton of the meat and the killing OF
| insects. The old-fashoned smoke
house is Southern institution that
should be introduced into all the West
ern States and Territories. 1t is ar
economical inst tuition, and one thai
insures good living at very small cost
No farmer should have occasion fol-
buying meat, unless it be an occasiona
cut of fresh beef during the sum
mer, with picked pork, cornet
and smoked beef and mutton. smoker
hams, shoulders. and sides of hogs h.
can supply his table with most of hi
own production and curing during thu
entire year. During the winter season
he can preserve fresh meat by freezing
it. The carcass of sheep can gener.
ally be sposed OF in farmers family
if the animal is not killed during the
summer months. Mutton will keer
longer than beef, and it can be corned
so as to insure its preservation if it can
not all be eaten in its fresh state.
Corned mutton is very delicate, and fol
cooking with vegetables is greatly SUI.
perior to beef. A farmer should have
chickens to kill during the summer.
and ducks, geese. and turkeys during
the fall and winter. These with the
pork, beef. and mutton cured in the
different way suggested. should furnish