418 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



An aggregate weight of 1790 Ibs. from four well-fattened 

 animals, after taking out the hams and shoulders, say about 

 400 Ibs., gave within a fraction of 1200 Ibs. of the best lard. 



Stearine and Oleine. Lard and all fatty matters consist of 

 three principles, of which stearine contains the stearic and 

 margaric acids, both of which when separated, are solid and 

 used as inferior substitutes for wax or spermaceti candles. 

 The other, oleine, is fluid at a low temperature, and in Ameri- 

 can commerce, is known as lard oil. It is very pure and 

 extensively used for machinery, lamps and most of the pur- 

 poses for which olive or spermaceti oils are used. 



Curing hams and pork. After dressing, the carcass should 

 be allowed to hang till perfectly drained and cool, when it may 

 be cut up and salted. The usual way is to pack the pork in clean 

 salt, adding brine to the barrel when filled. But it may be 

 dry salted, by rubbing it in thoroughly on every side of each 

 piece, with a strong leather rubber, firmly secured to the 

 palm of the right hand. The pieces are then thrown into 

 heaps and sprinkled with salt, and occasionally turned till 

 cured ; or it may at once be packed in dry casks, which are 

 occasionally rolled to bring the salt into contact with every 

 part. Hams and shoulders may be cured in the same man- 

 ner, either dry or in pickle, but with differently arranged 

 materials. The following is a good pickle for 200 Ibs. Take 

 14 Ibs. of Turk Island salt; i Ib. of salt petre ; 2 qts. of 

 molasses, or 4 Ibs. of brown sugar, with water enough to dis- 

 solve them. Bring the liquor to the scalding point, and skim 

 off all the impurities which rise to the top. When cold, 

 pour it upon the ham, which should be perfectly cool but not 

 frozen, and closely packed ; and if not sufficient to cover it, 

 add enough pure water for this purpose. Some extensive 

 packers in Cincinnati and elsewhere, who send choice hams 

 to market, add pepper, allspice, cinnamon, nutmegs or mace 

 and cloves. The hams may remain six to eight weeks in 

 this pickle, then hungup in the smoke-house, with the small 

 end down, and smoked from 10 to 20 days, according to the 

 quantity of smoke. The fire should not be near enough to 

 heat the hams. In Holland and Westphalia, the fire is made 

 in the cellar, and the smoke carred by a flue into a cool dry 

 chamber. This is undoubtedly the best method of smoking. 

 The hams should at all times be dry and cool, or their flavor 

 will suffer. Green sugar-maple chips, are best for smoke ; 

 next to them are hickory, sweet birch, corn cobs, white ash, 

 or beech. The smoke house is the best place to keep hams 



