408 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF FACTS. 



Bacon should have a thin rind, and the fat 

 should be firm and tinged with red by the cur- 

 ing ; the flesh should be of a clear red, without 

 intermixture of yellow, and it should firmly 

 adhere to the bone. To judge the state of a 

 ham, plunge a knife into it to the bone ; on 

 drawing it back, if particles of meat adhere to 

 it, or if the smell is disagreeable, the curing 

 has not been effectual, and the ham is not 

 good ; it should, in such a state, be immedi- 

 ately cooked. 



Venison. When good, the fat is clear, 

 bright, and of considerable thickness. 



Turkeys. In choosing poultry, the age 

 of the bird is the chief point to be attended 

 to. An old turkey has rough and reddish 

 legs ; a young one, smooth and black. Fresh 

 killed, the eyes are full and clear, and the feet 

 moist. When it has been kept too long, the 

 parts about the vent begin to wear a greenish, 

 discolored appearance. 



Common Domestic Fowls, when 

 young, have the legs and combs smooth ; when 

 old, they are rough, and on the breast long 

 hairs are found instead of feathers. Fowls 

 and chickens should be plump on the breast, 

 fat on the back, and white legged. 



G-eese. The bills and feet are red when 

 old, yellow when young. Fresh killed, the 

 feet are pliable, stiff when too long kept. 

 Geese are called green while they are only two 

 or three months old. 



Ducks. Choose them with supple feet 

 and hard, plump breasts. Tame ducks have 

 yellow feet, wild ones red. 



Pigeons are very indifferent food when 

 they are too long kept. Suppleness of the 

 feet shows them to be young ; the state of the 

 flesh is flaccid when they are getting bad from 

 keeping. Tame pigeons are larger than the 

 wild. 



Partridges, when young, have yellow legs 

 and dark colored bills. Old partridges are 

 very indifferent eating. 



Woodcock and Snipe, when old, have 

 the feet thick and hard ; when these are soft 

 and tender, they are both young and fresh 

 killed. When their bills become moist, and 

 their throats muddy, they have been too long 

 killed. 



SEASONABLE FOOD 



To be Obtained in Our Markets During the Year. 



January. Meats. Beef, mutton, pork, 

 lamb. 



Poultry and Game. Rabbits, hares, par- 

 tridges, woodcocks, grouse or prairie chickens, 

 snipes, antelope, quails, swans, geese, chick- 

 ens, capons, tame pigeons, wild ducks, the 



canvas-back duck being the most popular and 

 highly prized ; turkeys. 



Fish. Haddock, fresh codfish, halibut, 

 flounders, bass, fresh salmon, turbot. Frozen 

 fresh mackerel is found in our large cities dur- 

 ing this month ; also frozen salmon, red snap- 

 per, shad, frozen bluefish, pickerel, smelts, 

 green turtle, diamond-back terrapin, prawns, 

 oysters, scallops, hard crabs, white bait, fin- 

 nan haddie, smoked halibut, smoked salmon. 



Vegetables. Cabbage, carrots, turnips, pars- 

 nips, beets, pumpkins, chives, celery, winter 

 squash, onions, white and sweet potatoes, Je- 

 rusalem artichokes, chicory, Brussels sprouts, 

 kale sprouts, oyster plant, leeks, cress, cauli- 

 flower. Garden herbs, both dry and green, 

 being chiefly used in stuffing and soups, and 

 for flavoring and garnishing certain dishes, are 

 always in season, such as sage, thyme, sweet 

 basil, borage, dill, mint, parsley, lavender, 

 summer savory, etc., and may be procured green 

 in the summer and dried in the winter. 



Fruit. Almonds, apples. 



February. Meats. Beef, mutton, pork, 

 lamb, antelope. 



Poultry and Game. Partridges, hares, rab- 

 bits, snipes, capons, pheasants, fowls, pullets, 

 geese, ducks^ turkeys, wild ducks, swan, 

 geese, and pigeons. 



Fish. Halibut, haddock, fresh codfish, 

 striped bass, eels, fresh salmon, live lobsters, 

 pompano, sheep's-head, red-snapper, white 

 perch (a panfish), smelts green and frozen; 

 shad, herring, salmon-trout, whitefish, pick- 

 erel, green turtle, flounders, scallops, prawns, 

 oysters, soft-shell crabs which are in excel- 

 lent condition this month ; hard crabs, white 

 bait, boneless dried codfish, finnan haddie, 

 smoked halibut, smoked salmon. 



Vegetables. White potatoes, sweet potatoes- 

 cabbage, onions, parsnips, oyster plant, okra 

 celery, chicory, carrots, turnips, Jerusalem 

 artichokes, French artichokes, Brussels sprouts, 

 beets, mushrooms raised in hot houses, pump- 

 kins, winter squash, dry shallots and garden 

 herbs for seasoning put up in the dried state. 



Fruit. Apples, chestnuts, oranges. 



March. Meats. Beef, veal, mutton , lamb, 

 pork. 



Poultry and Game. Chickens, turkeys, ducKe, 

 rabbits, snipes, wild pigeons, capons. 



Fish. Striped bass, halibut, salmon, live 

 codfish, chicken halibut, live lobster, Spanish 

 mackerel, flounders, sheep's-head, pompano. 

 grouper, red-snapper. Shad are plentiful this 

 month. Herring, salmon-trout, sturgeon, 

 whitefish, pickerel, yellow perch, catfish, green 

 turtle, terrapin, scallops, soft-shell clams, .oys- 

 ters, prawns, smoked salmon, smoked halibut, 

 smoked haddock, salt codfish. 



