hampshire county farm bureau monthly 

 home: making 



HANDLING AND CURING PORK 



Timely Suggestions Taken from Essex 

 County Bulletin 



If kept cold, the meat will keep fresh 

 for some time. Frozen, and kept fro- 

 zen, it will keep until thawed. All meat 

 that is not wanted for fresh pork should 

 be salted or cured. To salt, cut in strips 

 about four inches wide, pack carefully in 

 a clean barrel or crock, placing a layer of 



1920 EXTENSION SCHOOLS 



As was stated last month, several 

 towns have asked for two-day Extension 

 Schools this winter during January and 

 February. The Mass. Agricultural Col- 

 lege has secured the services of Miss 

 Mildred Annan to teach classes in Mil- 

 linery. It will be a fine opportunity to 

 learn fundamental points even though it 

 will be between seasofi time. Miss Annan 



salt in the bottom and between each layer ] has done very successful Millinery class 

 of meat at the rate of about a half peck , work in Essex County. It is desirable to 

 of salt to each hundred pounds of pork, have 10 workers and any number of 

 When all the meat is in, pour in water observers. The workers should be se- 

 enough to cover it. Use a weight if lected from the standpoint of their qual- 



necessary to keep the meat under the 

 brine. 



The hams, shoulders, and some bacon, 

 may be cured as follows: for 100 pounds 

 of meat u.se 8 pounds of rock salt, .3 

 pounds of brown sugar, 2 ounces salt- 

 peter, 2 ounces soda, and 4 ounces of red 

 pepper. Rub on dry as much of this 

 mixture as will stick to the meat, pack 

 in a barrel and allow to stand one week. 

 Make a brine of the same mixture by 

 boiling in 4 gallons of water. Strain and 

 cool. Remove the meat from the bariel, 

 brush off any of the dry mixture remain- 

 ing, repack, and cover with the cooled 

 brine. Leave in the brine for a week, re- 

 move and smoke over a slow fire of hick- 

 ory wood or corncobs. 



For sausage, take the meat in the pro- 

 portion of 1 pound of fat to 3 pounds of 

 lean, and run through the meat grinder. 

 Prepare a seasoning of 1 ounce of salt, 

 one-half ounce of black pepper, and one 



ifications as "Home Demonstrators" in 

 Millinery and these "Home Demonstra- 

 tors" can organize classes for follow-up 

 work in the community. Both afternoons 

 of the two-day school will be given over 

 to millinery, leaving each morning free 

 for Clothing Efficiency, Household Con- 

 veniences, Meat Canning, Home Nursing, 

 Textiles, Foods for Children, Household 

 Accounts or any other subject desired. 

 Towns requesting two-day schools are 

 Middlefield, Worthington, Cummington, 

 Chesterfield, Goshen, Prescott and Plain- 

 field. 



CHANCE TO GO TO SCHOOL 



Ten Weeks' Course in Home Economics 



From December 29, 1919 to March 5, 

 1920, a short course in Home Economics 

 is offered by the Mass. Agricultural Col- 

 lege to the farmer's wife or daughter 

 over 18 years of age. There is jio tui- 



half ounce of sage, for each four pounds i tio" charge for residents of Massachu- 



of meat; mix with the ground meat and I setts. For further information, address 



run through the grinder again. This 



sausage meat may be put in cloth bags 



and paraffined, or put in a crock and 



covered v^dth melted paraffin or lard. 

 Farmer's Bulletin 913 on "Killing 



Hogs and Curing Pork" may be had by 



writing the Farm Bureau. 



The health charts which the 

 Demonstration Agent loans to the dis- 

 trict and school nurses and teachers in 

 the country are now in So. Hadly and 

 Belehertown. Those who have used the 

 charts have found them very helpful in 

 giving health talks to the school children. 

 We want to keep the charts in constant 

 circulation throught the county. When 

 W'ould you like them in your town? 



Director of Short Courses 

 Mass. Agri. College, 



Amherst, Mass. 



The Home Demonstration Agent is 

 glad to receive recipes or suggestions 

 which will be of benefit to other women in 

 the county. 



Everyone is interested in schemes which 

 will help in reducing the cost of living. 

 If you have made a discovery be sure 

 and pass it along for other people to 

 benefit by. 



The Home Economics Club of Hunting- 

 ton has assisted Principal Poole and the 

 Home Demonstration Agent in establish- 

 ing a warm lunch. Every day cocoa or 

 Home j soup and sometimes sandwiches are pre- 

 pared by two of the girls and sold to over 

 thirty pupils and teachers who carry cold 

 lunches. So far the scheme has worked 

 most successfully and warrants imitation 

 where children are eating cold dinners 

 day after day. 



In the Williamsburg school, a warm 

 dish has been recently undertaken by the 

 Wives Club. 



The Worthington Grange has become 

 interested in the same problem in the 

 Worthington Center School. 



In Cummington Center School, the 

 children have begun bringing three pen- 

 nies for their cup of cocoa or soup each 

 day. 



Eventually perhaps all children in our 



Some Results for 1919 in the 

 Homemaking Department 



Organization meetings held in seven- 

 teen towns to plan program of work for 

 the year. 



Twenty Clothing Efficiency groups 

 trained as leaders, (average 10 women 

 per group.) 



Three hundred children furnished with 

 tooth brushes and taught to brush their 

 teeth properly. 



Dental Clinic established in Cumming- 

 ton. 



Assisted in holding four Community 

 meetings with the State Department of 

 Health. 



Health charts loaned to teachers and 

 Public Health Nurses. 



Milk Campaign in two towns. 

 Warm lunches established in five 

 towns. 



Kitchens remodeled or rearranged in 

 five towns. 



Thirty-eight fireless cookers made in 

 eleven towns. 



Household account books distributed to 

 85 families. 



Household Conveniences exhibited and 

 explained in sixteen towns. 



Two or more meetings held with eleven 

 Junior Home Economics Clubs and six- 

 teen Junior Canning Clubs. 



Hundreds of jars of meats canned as 

 result of demonstrations. 



Extension schools in Homemaking held 

 in two towns. 



Fairs visited, judging done, exhibits 

 set up in five towns. 



Home visits 40 



Office calls 315 



Phone calls 510 



Articles written for local press 56 

 Demonstrations 74 



Letters written 1900 



Bulletins distributed 



U. S. D. A. 1700 



M. A. C. 3172 



Others 1773 



County who carry cold lunches will be 

 able to have a warm drink. 



Are You Getting Your Money's Worth? 



There seems to be a constant, upward 

 trend in prices at the present time. Per- 

 haps we are becoming too accustomed to 

 them and have formed the habit of ac- 

 cepting prices wdthout a question. Let 

 us acquire an investigating disposition 

 and determine whether or not we are 

 pajang a legitimate price for the goods 

 purchased. The Commission appointed 

 to investigate the necessities of life, 

 having its headquarters at the State 

 House in Boston, will supply you with a 

 standard price list which you may com- 

 pare with the local prices. Send to the 

 above address for this price list and in- 

 form yourself of the prices that may be 

 legitimately charged. 



