THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



13 



than tliose of an old fashioned closet, while, pi 

 l,aps, ill most instances, the best rooms in the 

 honse will he set aside for the sole purpose ol' 

 tentatioiis display. 



It is all important that the largest and most 

 lofty room upon the second floor be appropriated 

 for the sleeping apartments, and that it he freely 

 ventilated during the day time, at all seasons when 

 the weather is "not rainy, or otherwise very hu- 

 mid. There are few houses, the rooms of which 

 are so situated, as to render the latter impractica- 

 ble, and the influence of the practice upon the 

 health of inmates is too important to permit its 

 being neglected for any slight cause. 



A bed chamber should be divested of all unne- 

 cessary furniture, and unless of considerable size, 

 should never contain more than one bed. There 

 cannot be a more pernicious custom than that 

 pursued in many families, of causing the children 

 more especially, to sleep in small apartments, 

 witli two or three beds crowded in the same 



It is scarcely necessary to observe, that cleaidi- 

 ness, in the most extensive signification of the 

 term is, if jiossible, even more necessary, iu ref- 

 erence to the bed chamber, almost than any other 

 apartment. 



The practice of sleeiiinginnn apartment which 

 is occupied during the day is extremely impro|)er. 

 Perfect cieaidiness and sufiicient free ventilation 

 cannot, under such circumstances, be preserved, 

 especially during cold weather ; hence the atmos- 

 phere becomes constantly vitiated andaltogelher 

 unfitted for respiration. 



While too great a degree of caution cannot be 

 observed to avoid sleeping in damp i;-ooms, beds, 

 or clothing, the temperature of the bed chamber, 

 should, if possible, never be auaiiiiued, nnder 

 the ordinary circumstances of lu-altli, hy artllicial 

 means. As this apartment is to lie iixrvccl -olo- 

 ly for repose, a fire is never necessary, excepting, 

 perhaps, during uncommon severe weather; and 

 even then the temperature ought not to exceed 

 fifty degrees. 



A sleeping apartment, in which a large fire has 

 been kept for several hours previous to the period 

 ofrepairing to rest, may, to many, at the first 

 view present an a|>peai-ance of the most perfect 

 comfort — it is, however, at tlie same time, a means 

 of very effectually enervating the system — crea- 

 ting an increased susceptibility to the influence 

 of the cold, and thus opening" the way to the at 

 tack of some of the most serious diseases of the 

 chest. Happy may they esteem themselves whose 

 means forbid an indulgence in this species of 

 1 uxui-y. — Anonymous. 



Rerkshire Pigs. — Mr. George Bellows of this 

 village has demonstrated for the ten thousandth 

 time, the superiority of the Rerkshire bi-eed of 

 swine, over the common breeds. Three pigs half 

 Berksliire blood, and only 8 months old, were 

 killed by him on the 22d instant, the heaviest 

 weighing 270 potmds, and the others together 474 

 making the weight of the three, 744 pounds. No 

 more than ordinary pains, have as we are inform- 

 ed been taken in their fattening, though we sus- 

 pect that with him, ordinary pains means very 

 tolerable kee])ing. The pork, as we have had the 

 means of ascertaining very satisfactorily, froin a 

 sample he very liberally sent to us, was of an ex- 

 cellent quality. Mr. Bellows is famous for his 

 improvements, not only in Swine, but in Neat 

 Stock, Sheep, Horses, and other animals, and is 

 entitled to much credit, as a general benefactor to 

 l!ie agricnUural interest in this counfy. — Coos 

 Democml. 



Preserving Ilains and Shoulders from the la- 

 sect, for Summer use. 



In my travels through life, and east of the Al- 

 leghany iTioLiiitaiiis, I have been Klways very in- 

 quisitive on their mode of making "Baron, but 

 fotind but a small variation fiom ouns. Being a 

 lover of Bacon, it is almost my invariable prac- 

 tice when traveling an<l railing for breakfast or 

 dinner, I would greatly prefer bacon ham; and 

 in my traveling tour through England and Ire- 

 land in 1830, I foimd their beacon to he greatly 

 superior to ours. I will state to you my mode. I 

 !)elif-ve I have tried and seen tried in my neigh- 

 borhood all tlie methods in practice of oiir coun- 

 try and freqiiciillv (;ii|. :.i;d I miit^t prefi-i- tlie oiie 

 herein desciihcd" (tLikuu Inmi tlie Entli^li.) In 

 England their mode of scalding is very diflferent 



from ours ; as fuel is costly and not many hogs 

 to clean in a general way as we have, they heat 

 their water in a kettle and pour it on by small 

 quantities and cover the pig over with straw so 

 as to keep the heat on — their modes difler — and 

 when cleaned neatly and the animal heat is thor- 

 oughly out, then they salt their meat down and 

 let it be in salt from twenty-tour to forty -eight 

 .hours; (their salt is much preferable to" ours;) 

 tJien take it out of the Ball and brush off the loose 

 salt and uang it up on hooks to their joists in the 

 dwelling houses of the peasantry, there to dry in 

 the air until about the last of February or the 

 first of March, which is the time the fly (a large 

 gray haii-y fly,) deposits its egg. You should 

 have your sacks made of cheap ninepenny cot- 

 ton, large enough to slip over the hams and shoul- 

 ders and let tlie air paes and repi.ss around the 

 ham and shoulder; then draw the top of the sack 

 around the siring that your meat hangs by and 

 tie it tight to keep the fly out. These sacks will 

 last many years by proper care of them. There 

 is no such a thing as smoking of bacon and beef 

 iu England. They are very particidar iu cutting 

 off the feet so as to cut them off' below the knee 

 joint and hock joint, to prevent the air from get- 

 ting into the marrow of the bone, an .1 keep it 

 moist; and in hanging their hams and shoulders 

 up, always to have the hock end downwards to 

 keep it from draining dry and the meat from 

 loosing its sweet moisture. Their beef is not 

 put in sacks ; dicing stake is very neatly separa- 

 ted, as the seams through the flesh may show, 

 and that prevents the insect from having much of 

 a place to do any injury. This jiractice I have 

 put in usage since I returned home. The sacks 

 are three quarters of a yard long and half a yard 

 broad, though the size will be owing to the meat; 

 the co.st of the cotton sufficient to sack all my 

 family's summer meal is $'2,50 ; much better that 

 smoking, besides the danger of the fire. I do 

 not approve of my meat lying in sail longer than 

 from five to ten days if the weather is favorable 

 he salt to dissolve ; and if it is practicable to 

 hang it up I do so ; then the meal is not hurt by 

 the impure salt that is used in our land. Accor- 

 ding to the old Virginia and Maryland rules they 

 let their meal lay in the salt fi'om six to eight 

 weeks, and thai is enough to dcj^tmy all tin' jui 

 CCS that ever were iu the meat Ixi-s ^laii^^'litcre 

 in the latter end of November and tlic lil^[ (ifl)t' 

 cember and hung up according to dirucliuns, will 

 have nearly three months to dry iu the |)ure aii 

 before it is rcfpiisite to put it in the sack; a higl 

 and well ventilated meal house is much prefera- 

 ble. There have been many ladies and gentle- 

 men to visit me, and they universally admire the 

 fine flavor and red color and milil taste: more 

 particularly they speak of tlie dry beef not smok- 

 ed. It retains its juices — iu a broiled slate. So 

 I must draw to a close by saying if this is found 

 worthy to be placed in your valuaMe pjiper, you 

 can do so. , Yours, truly, J. E. LETTON. 



Southern Paptr. 



In debt and out of debt. 



Of what a hideous i)rogeny of ill is debt, tlie 

 father! What lies, what meanness, what inva- 

 sions on self respect, what cares, what double- 

 dealing! How, in due season, it will carve the 

 frank open face into wrinkles; how, like a knife, 

 'tvvill stab the honest heart. And then its liai:.s- 

 formations ! How it 1ms been known to change 

 a goodly face into a mask of brass ; how, with 

 the "damned custom" of debt, has the true man 

 become a callous trickster! A freedom from 

 debt, and what a nourishing sweetness may be 

 found in cold Water ; w hr.t toothsomeness in a 

 dry crust ; what ambroisal nourishment in a hard 

 egg! Be s re of it, he who dines out of debt, 

 tliough his iiT^al be biscuit and an onion, dines 

 in "The Apollo." And then for raiment; what 

 warmth in a threadbeare coat, if tlie tailoi's re- 

 ceipt be in the pocket ; what Tyriau purple in 

 the fiided waistcoat, the vest not owed for ; how 

 alossy the well worn hat, if it covers not the ach- 

 ing head of a debtor! Next, ihe home-sweets, 

 the out-door recreation of the free man. The 

 street-door knocker falls not a knell on his heart; 

 the foot on the st:iircasp, thouih he live on the 

 third pair, sends no stiasm through his anatomy; 

 Htthenpat his door he can crow forth "roinp 

 in." an.l liis pidsesiill l.rat licalllifiilh. his I.-. ;,)-; 

 sink not in his bowels. S=;'i,- l.im ali;o. ,1, Imuv 



street ; how he returns look for look with any 

 passenger; how be saunters; how, meeting an 

 acquaintance he stands and gossips ! But, then, 

 this man knows not debt ; debt, that casts a drug 

 into the richest wine; that makes the food of the 

 gods unwholesome, indigestible ; that sprinkles 

 the banquets of a Lucullus with ashes, and drops 

 soot iu the soup of an emperor : debt, that, like 

 the niolh, makes valueless Jiirs and velvets, en- 

 closing the wearer iu a festering prison, (the shirt 

 ofNessus was a shirt not paid for;) debt, that 

 writes upon frescoed walls the hand-writing of 

 the attorney ; that puts a voice of terror in the 

 knocker ; that makes the heart quake at the 

 haunted fire -side; debt, the invisible demon that 

 walks abroad with a man ; now quickening his 

 steps, now making liirn look on all sides like a 

 haunted beast, and now bringing to his fiice the 

 ashy hue of death, as the unconscious passenger 

 looks glancingly upon him ! Poverty is a bitter 

 draught, yet may, and sometimes with advantage 

 be gulped down. Though the drinker make wry 

 faces, there may, after all, be a wholesome good- 

 ness in the cup. But debt, however courteously 

 it be oftered, is the cup of a siren, and the wine, 

 spiced and delicious though it be, an eating pois- 

 on. The man out of debt, though with a flaw in 

 his jerkin, a crack in his shoe-leather, and a hole 

 in his hat, is still the son of liberty, free as the 

 singing lark above him ; but the debtor, though 

 clothed in the utmost bravery, what is he but a 

 serf out upon a holiday— a slave to be reclaimed 

 at any instant by his owner, the creditor? My 

 son, if poor, see wine in the running spring ; let 

 thy mouth water at a last week's roll ; think a 

 threadbare coat the "only wear;" and acknowl- 

 edge a white-washed garret the fittest housing 

 place for a gentleman: do this, and flee debt. So 

 shall Ihy heart be at peace, and the sheriff be 

 confounded. — Douglass Jerrold in " Heads of the 



Mr. Nathaniel Pike, of Somersworth, a good 

 farmer, has been an unbeliever in the notion that a 

 hundrejl bushels of Indian corn may be raised on 

 an acre until he tried and proved the fact by ex- 

 periment. He last year raised on one eighth of 

 an acre twelve bushels of sound shelled corn. It 

 was a white corn producing meal of the color of 

 wheat flour, and a kernel of nearly the size of the 

 Brown corn. 



For tlie Farmer's Montlily Visitor. 

 Recipe for Foot Rot in Sheep. 



Take two ounces oil of vitriol — one ounce 

 verdigris, and one ounce alum. Pulverize and 

 mix the verdigris and alum together. Add one 

 quart of common soap — stir them together. Last, 

 add the vitriol, and stir it till it settles, when it is 

 fit for use. 



To prepare the feet for the above application — 

 place the sheep upon a bench, and confine or 

 hold it so thi.: the hoof may be pared down to 

 the rot : apply the composition with a swab a 

 few times, once in three davs. It will be found 

 a sure remedy. CHA"RLES LOUGEE. 



Lyndon, Vt. 



Mr. Hill — Sir: Mr. James Osborne of Ken- 

 hec, Jle., slaughtered a pig last week, not quite 



eighth months old, which weighed mcluding 

 gli fat, 401 lbs. It was more than five weeks 



younger, and .36 pounds larger than the Candia 



pig, reported in your last — and the pigs down 



east are much larger than this. 

 January, I, 1841. 



Grubs in Cattle. — Most farmers know that 

 large portion of cattle have grubs or worms in 

 that part of the flesh nearest the back bone. It 

 is said these grubs originate fiom a fly which 

 lays its egg during the months of July and Au- 

 gust; and it is remarked that the best fed cattle 

 have the largest grubs. An old farmer in Con- 

 necticut (so says our informant) has been in the 

 habit of si>rinkling ashes upon the backs of his 

 cattle in the month of September al\er the sea- 

 son of action for the fly, and this has effectually 

 distrovfd loth tl.e nit and the grub. 



Some have supposed that the grub was natural 



to the growth o) the cattle. It come Irointhe nit 



of the tlv : and is I:. id siicce.ssfully on liiaf p.-trt 



of the hniiy vvhlcli caimot be reached by the 



confidently, yet how pleasantly, he takes the I tongue of the creature. 



