The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-01-02
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
SuEar-Curinc Hams.

SuEar-CurinG Hams.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Last year
an old comrade gave through THE Ma
TIoNAL TRIBUNE his mode Of making and
Keeping saus1ges. We have TT ed his recipe
land found it all that one could desire. We
have been benefited by his recipe, and we
Will give to the readers of The NATIONAL
TRIBUNE our way of sugar-curing hams.
For 100 pounds of hams three pounds Of
fne salt, two pounds of brown sugar. two
ounces of saItpeter, two ounces of soda. four
gallons of water. Boil the brine and let
cool. Pack the hams into barrel closely.
rubbing each piece with fine salt. Let re-
main two or three days then pour on the
brine at the side. After 10 days or two
weeks remove brine. Boil, skim and let
cool. Repeat two or three times, according
to size of hams. Six to seven weeks is long
enough for largest hams to remain in brine.
Hang up and smoke as other bacon.-BU-
FORD GADDIE, Co. B, 10th H., Hewins,
Kan.
Some Good AbsOrbents.
/ The best absoTbents for use in stables are
comparatively little known. II is a fact.
/ ho"e'er' tha5 the low grade potash salts,
especially kainit, which is sold by all agri-
cultural dealers, and kieserit which is not
so common if sprinkled in the stable daily
or on the manure pile, will absorb the am
monia or nitrogen, preventing its escape.
while also adding considerable potash to The
manure pile. Kainit contains about IL
pounds OF actual potash to the hundred
weight. Acid phosphate is also a good alb
| sOrbent III not too wet and where the fine
ground rock phosphate can be had cneapiy
| nc may be freely used in the stab'e The
decomposition IN the manure pile may assist
IN making the phosphOric acid of this raw
product available. foreground land plaster
or gypsum (sulphate of Iime) is also a splen-
| did absorbent, and can be had almost every-
/ where Where manures are to be applied to
| land that seems to require the use of lime.
/ plaster should be freely used as an absOrbens
In the stable. These absorbents keen the
stable free from odor, making them health
ful, and also assist in preventing the manure
| from heating.
A Hardy Sweet Pea.
| A Kansas correspondent says that three
| years ago sweet pea vine was grown in a bed
/ OF monthly roses. In the Fall the rosebed
/ was heavily mulched, and in so doing the
pea vine also. In the Spring the sweet pea
/ made its appearance, and was a continuous
mass of blooms. In the Fall it was again
mulched, and again sprang up. The past
/ Summer 1T was thing Of beauty, three feet
| high, bushy, with flowers in great thick
! clusters, notified pink, white, and dark
| purple-just one stalk, with over so clusters
OF bloom. The leaves were long, rank, and
coarse, and it looked more like n wild plant
/ than cultivated one. new shoot came
n N breo feet lint
! Covering Manure Piles.
| 1t is generally thought that little fermen-
/ tatiOn is In progress during cold weather.
and that there is, consequently, little loss of
ammonia This is not the fact where stable
manure, especially that of horses, is piled in
| heaps. Even when covered by snow the
manure pile will ferment so rapidly that its
central portions will be frefanged Much
OF the nitrogen Ia such manure evaporates
and is lost A supplyaof dry earth should
be accumulated in the Fall and thrown over
such heaps as they are made 1t will have
the further effect of preventing the manure
from heating as violently as it would other
wise do. Coal ashes are a good substitute
where the dry earth has not been saved for
this purpose. Coal ashes contain little or no
fertllizlng properties, but used to absorb am
monia from manure heaps they become q
valuable fertilizer.
Strawberry Culture.
Prof W. r. Lazenby before the Ohio Hor-
tieultural Society, presented the following
summary of suggestions to be kept in mind
by strawberry growers:
The most profitable varieties for the COM
mercial grower are those not easily influenced
by differences in soil and climate Those
which succeed well on wide areas are usually
better than those which have a mere local
reputation.
Pistillate varieties, when properly fertil-
led are more productive than the sorts with
perfect flowers
The value of variety for fertilizing pis-
tillate flowers does not depend so much upon
the amount as upon the potency of its
pollen.
The flowers of pistillate varieties are less
liable to be injured by frost than flowers of
perfect varieties.
Varieties that are neither very early nor
very late In point of maturity are the most
productive and have the longest fruiting
season.
As a rule, varieties that have the most
vigorous aud healthy foliage are least pro-
ductive, while those with weaker growth
OF foliage and greater susceptibility to leaf
blight are usually the more prolific
Winter protection may be dispensed with
upon well drained soils, but appears to be a
necessity upon heavier ones.
The leaf blight may be checked by using
the Bordeaux mixture, beginning Just as
soon as the leaves appear, and continuing
the application every few weeks throughout
the season.
Here and There.
If the trough is in a sheltered place, and
the water is pumped only as the cattle drink
it, and not allowed to stand until it is at
freezing temperature, there will have been
q great advance over the old way of break
ing the ice to allow the cattle to drink.
Charred corn is an excellent food for lay
ing hens, and serves to keep them healthy
and vigorous. Do not feed entirely, but
give once day and be careful in preparing
it, or it will burn to ashes
Every farmer should keep bees. The ex-
pense in the first introduction is small, and
honey is q most valuable product, aud
usually brings good price.
Water is essential to the health and COM
fort of all domestic animals Pigs and
sheep are no exception, and they must be-
provided with liberal supply to attain the
best results in growth and health.