MISCELLANEOUS. 263 



To preserve Bacon sound and szveel through the summer. 



Dear. 3ir, — In the Farmer, voliune 3, page 309, you piiblislied 

 a cornmunicalioij from Mr. J. VV. Lincoln, of Worcester, leconn- 

 mcnding, that hams, after being soaked, should be packed away in 

 oats. 1 followed his advice last year, and really feel ?o much in- 

 debted to him for the hint, that 1 must thus j)ubliciv thank !um ; 

 and for the benelU of my ,ieighl)ors ask you to re[)ublis!i his iciter. 

 To give you the best proof of the beautiful state ol" preservation se- 

 cured by this method, 1 send you a ham weighin;^ 1 I 3-4 lbs., you 

 will (ind it perfectly fiesh and full of essence — free from all sort of 

 speck or blemish. Those praitisiiig this mode of preserving their 

 bacon free from skippers or vermin of any kind, should recollect, 

 that the chest or cask ought to be perfectly tight, and raised about 

 six itichcs from the ground, and the oats packed in, quite tight. A 

 ham of this size should be boiled three and a half hours at lease. 



[^V. E. Fanner. 



[Some people do not smoke their bacon at all. After the hams 

 have lain in the pickle a sufficient length of time, they are taken 

 out and hung up to dry ; and after they are thoroughly dried, they 

 are packed away in oats or wheat. Hams thus treated, will keep 

 a long time, perhaps as Jong as jf they were smoked or washed in 

 pyroligneous acid.] 



IVEISCZSZ.I.ASa'SOUS. 



Cattle Fairs before the Revolution. 



Before the Revolution, regular Cattle Fairs were held in the 

 town of Hardvvick, under the patronage of Timothy Ruggles, one 

 of the most distinguished men in our county in fortner times. The 

 political commotions which overspread the land swept away the 

 custom so beneficial to the agricultural community. — We notice 

 that the enterprising inhabitants of Southbridge, propose to revive 

 the ancient usuage, and hold, on Saturday, the 8th day of Novem- 

 ber, a Fair, for the exhibitio ), sale, and exchange of cattle, horses, 

 and s[)ecimens of the mechanic arts. 



The beneficial effects wliich have resulted from the encourage- 

 ment i^iven to industry by the Agric:j!tural Societies, have been 

 manifested in the annually increasino; numbers of beautif d and 

 vaiu!)le animals which crowd to their exhibitions, and in the spirit 

 of improvement and of liberal competition which has gone throua-h 

 the community. — The shows of these associations, while thev pre- 

 sent to observation and imitation the rarest specimens of the pro- 

 ductions of the earth, of mechanical skill, and of good bre.i'dingf 

 have not been occasions where the farmer could part with his sur- 

 plus r)roperty, or supply his want** h>.' sale or excha:);j;e. The best 

 premium on t' •:; i>!oductu)iiS of -i<il! and industry, is in tlie price 

 they bring to the proprietor. Periodical sales have been attempt- 



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