Proceedings of the Farmers' Club. 459 



the bottom boards. A false bottom, with inch auger holes two inches 

 above said bottom boards, is nsed to allow the steam to act upon all 

 parts of the contents of the box alike. A close lid placed upon the 

 box before raising steam. This pan will cook a box of potatoes, hold- 

 ing twenty bushels, after the steam is up, in thirty minutes. I have 

 timed it often. Indeed the process of cooking is sp rapid that ano- 

 ther important advantage results — the wood used for fuel is just com- 

 pletely cliarred, and upon the application of a little water, you have 

 a nice lot of charcoal, enough for your hogs till more is made in 

 steaming, to which, you know, hogs on high feed should at all times 

 have access. "Wliy does Mr. Rogers think of using waiter to make 

 mush of his potatoes ? Better feed the potatoes, when cooked, with- 

 out any mashing or watering. The hog, though devoid of reason, can 

 tell much better than Mr. Rogers how much water he wants with his 

 potatoes. And why does Mr. Rogers think of a separate ' rig ' for 

 cooking meal ? Or why think, rather of cooking meal at all ? Why 

 not steam his corn in the ear with his potatoes, and let the hog do 

 his own shelling and grinding ? I will guarantee that wdien the corn 

 is steamed to the pulpy softness of the roasting ear, that the hog will 

 make it available for less toll than the miller. In feeding the hog 

 cooked potatoes, let me suggest to Mr. Rogers the mixing in this sea- 

 son of Hubbard squash, or sweet pumpkin, when he steams his pota- 

 toes. Then he has the sugar and the starch, and unless in very cold 

 weather, the corn may be unground. This I suggest from but a 

 very little different experience — the use of sweet apples. I might say 

 that my rig has not cost me more than ninety cents a year. For 

 thirteen years,it has been used when the state of the pork and pota- 

 toe market indicated its use." 



Mr. II. Wolcott, Genesee, IST. Y. — As economy of time and fuel 

 are of the first importance, I would suggest using a pan instead of a 

 kettle. For the sides use one and one-half or two-inch planks for the 

 bottom, and six inches in width. On the ends use sheet iron or zinc. 

 If it is made four feet square, one foot in depth will hold ten bushels 

 or more of roots, or twelve bushels of grain or meal. If meal alone 

 was to be cooked, I don't know but a false bottom would be neces- 

 sary, with perforated pipes to carry the steam into the meal. A trial 

 could be made of using two inches of corn in the bottom, to prevent 

 the meal sticking and burning, or make a partition so as to have the 

 fire arch only a little more than half the width of the pan, passing 

 the fire to the back end and returning it to the chimney on the oppo- 

 site side from the arch, at the front end. 



