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THE GENESKE FARMER. 





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value to agriculture, must have the aid of the 

 practical farmer, who c^in carry out the indica- 

 tious of science aud disprove or establish them by- 

 practice. 



Coal ashes in England are quite plentiful, coal 

 constituting the whole of their fuel. They are 

 mostly preserved with care and used with guano 

 and sulphate of lime, serving to increase the bulk 

 and enabling the drill to distribute these concen- 

 trated manures evenly over the soil. They are 

 also used as a maniire for meadow grass and clover 

 with beneficial effect. Tliey are also very useful 

 to mix with nightsoil, absorbing the fluids and 

 rendering its removal and application to the soil 

 less difficult and disagreeable. On the whole, we 

 are inclined to tliink their value is to bo attribu- 

 ted to their mechanical effects on the soil, render- 

 ing it more porous and absorbent, rather than to 

 any chemical ingredients tliey may contain. It is 

 often used by market-gardeners in forming beds 

 for early seeds, and is particularly commended as 



a manure for radishes. 



♦ 



Method of Curing Hams. — In answer to inqui- 

 ries on this subject, we give the awards of the 

 Maryland State Agricultural Society, at its last 

 exhibition. The method of curing is wisely given 

 in each case. The hams of Virginia aud Maryland 

 have long been celebrated. 



T. E. Hamilton's Recite. — First Premium. — ^To 

 every 100 lb", pork take 8 lbs. of G. A. salt, 2 oz. 

 saltpetre, 2 lbs. brown sugar, 1^ oz. of potash, and 

 four gallons of water. Mix the above, aud pour 

 tlie brine over the meat, after it has lain in the 

 tub for some two days. Let the hams remain six 

 weeks in brine, and tlien dried several days before 

 Bmokiug. I have generally had the meat rubbed 

 with fine salt when it is packed down. Tlie meat 

 should be perfectly cool before packing. 



J. Green's Recipe. — Second Premium. — ^To 1,000 

 lbs. of pork, take half a bushel and half a peck of 

 salt, 3 lbs. saltpetre, 3 lbs. sugar, and two quarts 

 of molasses. Mix — rub the bacon with it well; 

 keep on for three weeks in all ; at the end of nine 

 days take out the hams, and put those wliich are 

 at the top at the bottom. 



R. Brooks, Jr's Recipe. — Third Premium. — One 

 busliel of fine salt, half bushel ground alum salt, 

 one and a half pound to a thousand pounds of 

 pork, left to lie in pickle four weeks, hung up and 

 smoked with hickory wood until the rind becomes 

 a dark brown. 



C. D. Slingluff's Recite. — Fourth Premium. — 

 To 100 lbs. green hams, take 8 lbs. G. A. salt, 2 

 lbs. brown sugar or molasses equivalent, 2 oz. 

 pearl ashes, 4 gallons water; dissolve well, skim- 

 ming off the scum arising on the surface. Pack 

 tlie liams compactly in a tiglit vessel or cask, rub- 

 bing the fleshy part with fine salt. In a day or 

 two pour the above pickle over the meat, taking 

 care to keep it covered with pickle. In four to six 

 weeks, according to the size and weight of the 

 hams, (that is to say the longer period for heavy 



hams) hang up to smoke, hock up, smoking with 

 green hickory wood. I have put up hams for the 

 last 12 or 15 years by the above recipe with uni- 

 form success, equal at all times to the sample now 

 presented. 



Rat-Proof Granary. — Yellow Bug. — ^Tlie best 

 rat-proof granary Avithin my observation is set on 

 posts smoothly turned, and sheathed with tin 

 about a foot in width from the upper end. The 

 posts stand three feet out of tlie ground, and the 

 steps are liung on hinges or pivots, to be raised 

 and turned in wlien the granary is closed. Ko 

 rat ever dined in that crib. 



as£iJ"'==^ 



kat-puoof granary. 



Tlie lower floor is used for corn, (both sides 

 being neatly slatted,) aud the second (reached 

 from the first by stairs swung on pivots as before) 

 for the smaller grains. 



Altliough out of season, it may prove of advan- 

 tage to some of your subscribers another year to 

 know how to prevent the ravages of the "yellow 

 or striped bug." Tansy failed entirely, so far as 

 my experience was concerned. Hen manure dis- 

 solved in water and sprinkled on the vines, 

 succeeded tolerably well, but required constant 

 watching and repetition. But the best method 

 for a limited number of plants, as I think, is to 

 set over the hill as soon as they appear, open 

 boxes eighteen inches square and six to eight 

 inches deep, gathering the earth about the bottom 

 to prevent their crawling under. In the same 

 garden, during the last summer, those vines which 

 were protected by tansy were covered with bugs, 

 while those inclosed in boxes, only a few feet dis- 

 tant, escaped unharmed. A dozen or two of such 

 boxes can be made in a few hours on some win- 

 ter's day, out of old fence boards, if need be, and 

 had in readiness for the summer's use. 



Rat-Proof Granary. — I noticed In one of your 

 numbers an inqxiiry for a rat-proof granary. In 

 answer to that, I will only give the form of mine, 

 which so far has had the desired effect. I make 

 it as tight all round as convenient with common 

 lumber, except a place in the center, overhead, 

 for the rats to go in if they would ; but seeing no 

 way to get back, they do not like to jump tlirough 

 the hole. This I think prevents them from gnaw- 

 ing at any other place. The hole must be in (he 

 ceiling, imder the joist, and a floor over it, so the 

 rats can have free access to the hole. P. S. — Hol-^ 

 lin, Mich. 



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