1856. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



33 



CZAR, CALF OF THE JERSEY COW, FLORA. 



Age 8 Months. Weight 500 Lbs. 



of calico. Around the neck is a ruff of dog's fur, 

 but underneath this is a white or black handker- 

 chief tied snug to the neck. The dress when orna- 

 mented is quite a handsome one, as it is the best of 

 the bloomer style. 



HOW TO CURE HAMS. 



As this is about the time when most farmers are 

 preparing their hams, beef tongues, &c., for future 

 use, a few suggestions on the subject will undoubt- 

 edly be acceptable. 



We would not advise the use of saltpetre in 

 curing meat — it is entirely unnecessary, and it is 

 dangerous. Many of the other suggestions below 

 are valuable : 



Pork Hams. — When the meat is perfectly cold, 

 after being killed, it is ready to be salted. The 

 salt should be of the best quality — solar evaporat- 

 ed, ground fine, is, perhaps, the best kind — and to 

 every pound of it one ounce of fine white sugar 

 should be added. The hams should be laid upon a 

 table or bench, and every part carefully rubbed ^nth 

 this salt ; then they should be laid in a dry tub 

 until the next day. The same operation should be 

 repeated every day for four days, taking care to 

 turn the hams in the tub every time they are laid 

 down. After this, the operation may be repeated 

 once every two days for a week, when it will be 

 found that the meat has absorbed sufficient salt to 

 preserve it for family use. After this it may be 

 slightly smoked, or hung up to dry. Hams intend- 

 ed for sale should be once rubl^ed over with the 

 salt, as described, then placed in a strong pickle. 

 This should be made of the best salt — 10 lbs. to the 

 100 lbs. of pork, with one ounce of sugar to the 



pound added, and half an ounce of saltpetre to the 

 ten pounds of salt, all boiled for about fifteen min- 

 utes, and the froth skimmed off; it is then set 

 aside to cool. When cold, the hams may be placed 

 in this pickle and left for three weeks. They should 

 then be lifted, hung up for three or four days to 

 drip, and are then fit to be smoked. 



For family use, instead of smoking the hams af- 

 ter they are" salted and dripped, if they are simply 

 rubbed" over with black pepper and hung up for a 

 few days to dry, the meat acquires a very fine fla- 

 vor. A mild smoky taste may be given to hams 

 without smoking them, by simply smoking the bar- 

 rels in which they are to be laid down in pickle. 

 This is a good plan, because the taste of the smoke 

 — which sfflRie persons like — is given to the meat 

 without discoloring it. Sides of pork should be 

 treated in the same manner as hams laid in the 

 pickle ; but for home use, during winter, by merely 

 rubbing the sides with salt every day for a week or 

 ten days, then hanging them in a moderately cool 

 place to dry for use, the meat is much sweeter than 

 that laid down in pickle. This information we 

 have derived from one long engaged in curing pork, 

 and we have satisfied ourselves, practically, of its 

 correctness. The amount of salt for rubbing on 

 the meat does not require to be stated ; no person 

 can go wrong by rubbing on too great a quantity. 

 The sugar is used for the purpose of nullifying the 

 bitter taste of the saltpetre, and also that of any 

 bitterin — sulphate of magnesia or sulphate of soda 

 — that may be in salt. 



Beef Hams. — The finest beef hams are made by 

 cutting out the entire bone of the hind-quarter, 

 then rubbing in the salt and sugar, the same as de- 

 scribed for pork hams, turning them over and rub- 

 bing them every day for one week. After this they 

 are hung up to di-ip in a cool place for three days. 



