554 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 9 



name would be better authority, for any statements 

 whatever. In addition, the mutual friend through 

 whom the communication was obtained, says in his 

 accompanying letter, "I have conversed with other 

 gentlemen who are well acquainted with the process 

 of curing bacon, and all agree that these directions in 



the mam, are right. Mr. of this county, who has a 



high character for making good bacon, agrees with 

 the writer,except that the former does not suifer his pork 

 to lie in salt more than ten days, usually. That how- 

 ever, depends on the state of the weather."] 



From the Maine Farmer. 



Agreeably to your request, of Saturday last, I 

 proceed to make some remarks on the process of 

 curing bacon, and which, if they are thought wor- 

 thy, may be inserted in the Farmers' Register. 

 They will be too late however, I apprehend, for 

 the present season. It may be first premised that 

 the curing of bacon is a practical art, which as, in 

 this climate at least, it depends on several circum- 

 stances, and especially the varying state of the 

 weather, can never be completely successful with- 

 out the exercise of a judicious discretion. But 

 there is no secret or mystery about it: yet many 

 persons in the neighborhood where the best bacon 

 is made,still obstinately follow the manner of their 

 forefathers, and think they have good sound ba- 

 con. Were they to keep their whole stock how- 

 ever, until the month of August, they might see 

 their error, as they would discover perhaps, that 

 not a fourth part of it was sound. 



The first requisite for good bacon is the pork, 

 which must be really fat. Hogs more than one 

 year old, and which have been raised poor, and 

 afterwards well fatted in a short time on corn, are, 

 I think, decidedly the best. The. most convenient 

 size is that of such as weigh between 100 and 160 

 lbs. Stye-raised hogs can never be made into 

 the best bacon. Before the pork be salted it 

 should have time to become perfectly cold, a cir- 

 cumstance indispensable perhaps to its sound pre- 

 servation; and it is at least the safest course in our 

 uncertain climate, to lose no time afterwards. The 

 great improvement, which was made many years 

 ago in the curing of bacon, amongst those who 

 furnished the markets with what is usually called 

 "Smithfield bacon," consisted in salting the pork 

 more than once. This, with the use of saltpetre, 

 which imparts a juiciness and flavor, which per- 

 haps nothing else can supply to bacon, constitutes 

 the only secret. Molasses used in conjunction 

 with saltpetre, adds to its finishing relish. The 

 latter article is never, I believe, used by professed 

 bacon makers for sale, and saltpetre is not used by 

 the large dealer, except for hams, and then in ra- 

 ther stinted quantities. The bacon of the small 

 dealers is therefore much to be pre/erred. 



The course which I pursue in salting my small 

 quantity of pork, is as follows: as soon as the hams 

 are cut out, a table spoonful of molasses is poured 

 on the flesh side of a ham, and after being spread 

 over it, a heaping table spoonful of saltpetre is put 

 on, and rubbed into it. The hams thus prepared 

 are then laid away until the rest of the pork is 

 ready for salting. The same course I pursue with 

 the shoulders, putting on a little less saltpetre. In 

 salting, I use the Liverpool sack salt, and salt my 

 pork always twice, sometimes, in doubtful weather, 

 three times. The second salting should be about 



the third day after the first, at which time I put 

 saltpetre, about a third as much as in the first in- 

 stance, again on the hams and shoulders. Should 

 pork be frozen when first salted, it should be re- 

 salted as soon as practicable after it thaws, as in 

 that case there is often great danger of its spoil- 

 ing. I put saltpetre on every piece of my pork, 

 and use about five pounds to the 1000 lbs. of pork, 

 It contributes, I believe, not only towards its fla- 

 vor and appearance, but also, in a greater propor- 

 tion than salt, to its preservation, and as a pre- 

 ventive against the worm, bug, and skipper. 

 Care should be taken to let the brine drain olF 

 from meat in salt, and if it be salted in casks, 

 there should be a hole in their bottom after the 

 second salting, that the brine may escape, as its 

 contact with the meat tends to injure its flavor. 

 Pork should be allowed to remain in salt about 

 four weeks, and longer, I think, if it be very large. 

 I know however, one of the best makers of bacon 

 who thinks that hams are injured by remaining so 

 long in salt. But, in my opinion, if saltpetre be 

 used in sufficient quantity, and the pork be realty 

 fat, bacon can scarcely be made too salt; and I 

 should therefore be seldom in a hurry to hang it 

 up. As good bacon as ever I have seen lay in 

 salt more^han three months. 



The last operation in making good bacon is 

 that of smoking, which is best done in clear, dry 

 weather, and may perhaps be sufficiently well 

 done with any kind of wood, though solid green 

 wood, as oak or hickory, I take to be the best. 

 Contrary to old opinions, the operation is best car- 

 ried on in the closest smoke-house, and a consider- 

 able degree of heat too, is not, I think, unfavorable 

 to the operation. What used to be called "fire 

 tainted" meat is known now to be spoilt meat, 

 occasioned by the unfavorable state of the wea- 

 ther, or its not being properly salted. Bacon can 

 scarcely be smoked too much. The smokes 

 should be continued at least until it has a dark red- 

 dish brown color. The joints should always be 

 hung highest in the smoke house, for as they are 

 more liable to be injured by the skipper, they will 

 thereby be more out of the way of the fly which • 

 seldom ascends high, if it can find lower prices to 

 pitch upon. Smoke-houses ought to be construct- 

 ed so tight as to be dark when the door is closed. 

 I have strong reason to believe that bacon which 

 might be kept through the summer uninjured, in a 

 dark smoke-house, might sustain much injury in 

 one which was quite light. 



By pursuing the course pointed out tn the above 

 directions, the writer of this has for many years 

 past cured a small quantity of bacon of his own 

 raising, and which he has been assured by many 

 whom he considered as judges, was not surpassed 

 in quality by any. To one of these, a distinguish- 

 ed member of the General Court, directions, sub- 

 stantially the same as the above, were given some 

 years since, and published, as the writer under- 

 stood, in the Compiler newspaper. 



Isle of Wight, Dec, 21, 1S35. 



MARLING ON POOR LAND. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Though a stranger to you, I should, long belbre 

 this time, have thrown in my mite to the columns 

 of your very useful Register, (of which as a sub- 



