82 



THE GEKESEE FARMER. 



" Never let the farm absorb all your attention, to 

 the total exclusion of a garden." There is more 

 profit and real pleasure to be derived from a garden, 

 than from any other acre of the farm. A good 

 fanner should also be a good gardener, 



" Kever think of doing without an agricultural 

 paper, even if you take three or four political 

 papers," They do not meet the wants of an 

 agriculturist. 



"Never believe all you read, even in an agricul- 

 paper;" but "prove all things," and practice that 

 which suits your position and circumstances best. 



Woodstock, Canada We^st. E. W. S. 



ENGLISH BACON. 



Eds, Genesee Farmek: — Your method of cur- 

 ing bacon, English way, is tlie same that I have 

 always seen and been accustomed to at home, pigs 

 either scalded or singed, with this exception, viz. : 

 rubbing the shin, of wliich you take no notice in 

 your description of the process. 



Now, I would beg to remind you that it is as 

 necessary to rub the skin as the fleshy part of the 

 flitch or ham, and let me tell how to rub it. Off 

 with yonr coat, double up your shirt sleeves, have 

 plenty of good Syracuse salt* (the best I know of), 

 and go to work rubbing both sides of the flitch or 

 ham until you sweat again. Lay all your weight 

 on as you rub the salt in, and in this matter do not 

 pinch, or, as we say, " Never lose a hog for a pen- 

 nyworth of tar." Once done well, it is done 

 forever. The rubbing in of the salt is the cure. 



All the other descriptive part of your method 

 is perfect, save another item, viz, : salt petre, which 

 I never used more of, either at home or in America, 

 for a pig of from two hundred to three liundred 

 lbs., than a couple of ounces, finely bruised and 

 sprinkled over the salt on the fleshy side, with a 

 little around the shoulder bone; consequently a pig 

 of four hundred lbs. would require less of salt petre 

 than one of less weight. In my opinion, salt petre 

 spoils the flavor of bacon by using too much of it, 

 and does no good whatever otherwise. 



T would remark here, that rust is the great 

 enemy in America; but probably my place of 

 keeping was not of the right kind. The room was 

 between seven and eight feet high, with two win- 

 dows, and continual light upon the bacon. It 

 became much rusted, from a quarter to a half an 

 inch in depth. This was of a dark yellow, ap- 

 proaching to a darkish brown rust, and very rancid 

 in taste. I tried this manner of cure for two years 

 only, and I am sorry to say that my bacon failed 

 in this respect, by the rust. In all other respects, 

 everything was perfect all through the summer. 



Pittston, Luzerne Co. Pa., Jan., 1S60. W. 



CTJKENG BEEF FOR DRYING. 



Eds. Gen. Farmer : — The following is a method 

 of curing beef that I saw my father use fifty years 

 ago, and which I have followed all my life. 



The length of time required for the whole is 

 from twenty-four to thirty-six hours. Get a wash 

 tub or any other vessel, and put into it three or 

 four inches of water ; then set bricks on their edges 

 around the bottom of the tub, on which lay a few 

 cross-sticks to keep the lower end of the beef from 

 falling into the water ; on these sticks place your 



round of beef (with the bone taken out), with a 

 cord around it to keep it compact ; then lay on the 

 top a small sprinkling of salt peti-e, powdered, a 

 quarter of an ounce ; then cover all over with salt, 

 or as much as will lie on at the upper or thick end 

 of the beef. The water in the tub will draw the 

 salt down through every pore in twenty-four hours. 

 Then you may cord it up and hang it up to dry. 



I have often cured large mutton hams in the same 

 way, — cutting the small part of the leg off so that 

 the water could draw the salt through the pores. 



Pittston, Luzef-ne Co., Pa, Jan., 1860. W 



ON BUILDINGS SUITABLE TO A LARGE AND SMALL 

 FARM. 



"What buildings are suitable to a farm, however 

 large or small, is not a subject of minor impor- 

 tance. They are indispensable to the preservation 

 and security of the products, stock and implements 

 of the farm, and the comfort and health of its 

 occupants. The following are my views of build- 

 ings suitable to a large or small farm. 



The first and most important of these is the 

 dwelling house. The first, because it must needs 

 be the residence of the farmer while all out-build- 

 ings are being erected. The most important, 

 because the health and convenience of its occupants 

 should be regarded first. As it is not my province 

 here to enter into detail, in giving a description of 

 a house, I shall only advance some general ideas in 

 regard to it. 



The house may be built of such materials as the 

 owner may choose ; but in all cases a cellar with 

 walls of stone should be considered indispensable. 

 Then you have a foundation for stone, brick, wood 

 or gravel wall. The cellar should be divided into as 

 many rooms as the farmer may want, for milk, 

 butter, fruit, roots, vegetables, etc. (An ice-house 

 may be so constructed in connection with the 

 cellar as to be of great utility, in making good 

 butter in warm weather, and storing butter, pre- 

 serves, fruit, vegetacles, etc.) The house should 

 be of sufticient size to accommodate a large family, 

 with additional rooms for laborers, etc., according 

 to the size of the farm. 



A farmer's dwelling should contain at least a 

 parlor, dining or living room, cook room, two large 

 bed rooms, a pantry, store-room and closet, on the 

 first floor. The wall should be high, and the first 

 three rooms mentioned not less than 16 feet square. 

 Such a house, when finished, with chamber room 

 in proportion, will afford accommodation for a large 

 family. I would recommend building as nearly 

 square as possible. 



A wood-house and wash-room"containing boilers, 

 etc., should be considered indispensable in connec- 

 tion with a farmer's dwelling, while adjacent thereto, 

 the water closets should be suitably arranged. 



I will here leave the house and its offices, and 

 direct your attention to the barn. The size of a 

 barn for a large farm may be 50 by 86 feet, height, , 

 20 feet. It should be placed on a stone wall. The 

 main floor, 14 feet wide, dividing it in the centre, 

 leaves an equal division on each side of S6 by 50 

 feet ; divide eacli of these in the centre again, and 



