Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1885-10-22
DOMESTIC ECONOMY.
How Western Farmers Sell Their Cattle,
sheep, and Hogs and buy Cured Meats
Industrial Brevities.
Too Much Selling and Buying.

few things and bought but few. They
not only fed but clothed the members
OF thei. families from the products of
their farms. This course was neces-
sary. because markets were few, the
means OF transportation poor, and
money scarce. With the introduction
of railroads, the establishment of mar
kets, and the great increase of circu-
lating medium great changes were
produced IN the affairs of the farmer
in relation to trade. In many parts
of the country it has become the habit
of most farmers to sell almost every
thing they produce on their places,
and to buy almost everything that is
needed to supply the wants of their
families. OF course, this plan must be
pursued by farmers who make a
specially raising cotton, tobacco, hops,
broom corn, and some other crops
that are not food products. They
must buy their meat, breadstuffs, and
fruit the same as merchants, manu-
facturers, and artisans do, or else de-
vote portion of their farms to the
production that can be used for feed
ing the family. In many cases they
will find it to their advantage to buy
of neighboring farmers and gardeners
poultry, eggs, vegetables, and fruits,
and to obtain their flour, meal, dairy
products, and meat from regular
dealers. Such, however, is not ordi-
Tarily the case with persons en-
gagged 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 sufficient quantity 10 last till more
can be produced. That they do
not ordinarily pursue this course is OBJ
servable in many ways. 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
slaughterng animals and curing meats.
1t is often 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 NUT
ton preserved by ice, are sent from
cities to country towns and sold to
farmers. During the present season
great alarm has been created in nu-
merous country towns by sickness
caused by eating unwholesome meat.
In each instance the meat has been
traced to some packing-house located
in or near a large city. The meats
that produced sickness were eaten in
country towns which furnish more
meat than the inhabitants can con-
sumo.
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 lsvge advance
in price. AS rule, prices rule low
when 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 fattoning season in the fall.
They rule high when the market no
longer receives supplies and specula-
tors have every opportunity to ar
range combinations. Farmers, scat
v,
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 ris-
ing in price from the time it leaves the
farmer in the fall till it comes back
tho next spring or summer. One
freight bill must be paid to send it to
tho market and another to bring it
back again. From the time it leaves
the farm till it returns it passes
through several hands, all of whom
exact some profit. Insurance, inspec-
ton 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 for cents per pound can
not be bought back six months after
ward for twice that sum.
In many cases farmers sell hogs and
steers they raise and buy back the
meat they furnish because they do not
understand how to dress the animals,
are not skilled in curing the meat, or
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 ig-
norant In regard to these matters he
should embrace the first opportunity
to acquire the needed information. 1t
may be impractical for all the farmers
In portion of country that has been
recently settled to have cellars suita-
BILE for the keeping of meat. Several
farmers, however, can unite in con-
structing 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 be
opened at specified times for the ac'
commodation of those interested in it,
There are few farmers who are toe
poor to own smoke-house, and such
building will serve not only fol
curing meat, but for storing it. The
delicious hams, shoulders, and side
bacon one is certain to find in mos
parts of the southern states are nov
sailed. smoked, and kept in the same
building. Dry salt and sugar were
applied to them. They were slowly
smoked and left hanging in the smoke
house till they were wanted for use
No cloth or paper coverings were re
CURED to keep flies and other insects
from them, rs the interior of TIT
smoke house is kept entirely dark. Al
corn-cobs or hickory bark are gener
ally used in the south for smoking
meat it has q delightful flavor. Occa
sionally during the spring and sum
mer fire is kindled in the smoke
house, especially If the weather i
damp. for the purpose of insuring thu
preservation of the meat and the kill
ing of insects. The old-fashione,
smoke-house is southern institution