The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-12-26
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
American Bacon.


Every American who goes abroad COM
meuts upon the inevitable dish of bacon
which appears upon every English break
fast table. He does not understand the
national fondneSs for it, and generally calls
for something else. But he gradually be-
comes reconciied to the inevitable and par
takes OF it regularly after time, generally
pretacIng the request for another slice with
the remark, Somehow I don't care much
for bacon at homen He never stops to ana
lyze the quality of the dish before him. vet
that is really where the difference lies. The
foreign bacon is well streaked with lean and
has q sweeter flavor and milder cure than
the American article.
We have been so busy producing weight
that we have had no time TO bestow any
attention to what that weight was made up
OF. As q result there are very few good
bacon hogs in this country. This is largely
due to our habit of feeding exclusively on
corn instead of the more heterogeneous foods,
such as wheat, middlings, bran, oats, grass,
milk, etc. These viii make size rather than
fat and will go far toward producing we'll
streaked bacon rather than the solid fat
which we have hitherto termed such OF
course, corn will still remain the standard
smaller quantities to produce frst-class
bacon.
Another obstacle to the popularizing of
American bacon is its rankness. We are in
too great hurry to get the curing done the
meat sold and the money in our pockets.
In order to preserv- the natural sweetness of
the meat ID is essential to cure slowly. This
we do not do, and it is to our haste and i'm
patience that the smallness of our returns
are due. American bacon cured in the
present hasty superficial methods can never
hope to become a National dish at home nor
can it compete abroad with the Irish and
Danish product. 1t will always bring a
much lower price as long as the English
housewife is tempted to its purchase through
motives of economy, is forced to get rid of
or at least to lessen the rank flavor 80 OBJ
jectionable to English paIates, by sleeping
it over night in sweet milk. Under these
circumstances we cannot hope TO compete
with other nations in the higher quality of
pork products or to increase our home con-
sumption as we ought to do
Phosphate for Potatoes.
Potash rather than phosphate would seem
to be indicated as fertilizer by analysis Of
the potato. Yet many farmers have been
very successful applying little phosphate
in each hill, not only increasing the yield,
but growing potatoes free from seab. On
heavy soil the application of superphos-
plate may make more potash available.
1t always contains an excess of sulphuric
acid, which acts on the soil and fits it's
potash for use. This same sulphurie acid
also probably DESTROYS some of the fungus
which causes the scab. But the germicide
corrosive sublimate used as a weak dilu-
ton for the seed is more effective in pre-
venting scab than any other application.
The phosphate will need TO be literally sup
plemented with potash for potato crops
grown on sandy soil, and some of the potash
should always be used on heavy soils, as
what they contain is often not in available
form to be used as plant food.
Cleaning Up the Farm.
At this season it is good plan to gather
up whatever rubbish remains about the
place, pile it in heaps and burn it. This
should include weeds which have been ne
elected and allowed to seed. 1t takes hot
fire to make sure of the destruction of weed
seeds. Some of them, as the heat dries and
cracks their pods, fall to the ground, where,
In a fire of dried weeds there is an aecumu-
lation Of carbOnic acid gas that prevents the
lower part of the heap from burning. 1t is
VHAy W 'ShlJ cNAAAibS up VIC VI luO
fire that this carbonic acid gas is dissipated,
and oxygen can besupplied to make the lower
port of the heap burn. When there is a lit
tie wind the lower part of heap Of weeds
always burn poorly.
When to Water Horses.
Always water your horses the first thing
in the morning, and do not let the water be
too cold If it is too cold you will probably
have a case of collie. Water is best when it
is about 100 warmer than the outside air in
Winter, and as much cooler in GUNNER
Give the hay before the grain, so that the
stomach may be partially filled before the
concentrated food gets into it. Better still,
feed chopped feed. Mix the ground grain
with dampened hay or fodder, and give the
largest feed at night, when the horse has
time to digest it, Fat and food for the mus
cles are made when the horse is at rest.
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