36 



NEW EXGLAXD FAR:MEII. 



Jan. 



Mr. Flint, we think, has been equally happy in 

 his portion of the work. The subjects which have 

 come under his care, are concisely and perspicu- 

 ously treated, and will make a great many points 

 plain, wliich have heretofore been surrounded with 

 mystery to the common farmer. His chapters on 

 the '"Economy of the Farm," and the "Economy 

 of the Household," are especially worthy of the 

 most careful reading. 



We not only hope that the book will be intro- 

 duced into all the schools of New England, but 

 that a copy of it may also be found on the table of 

 every farmer. Messrs. Swan, Brewer & Tileston, 

 131 Wasliington St., Boston, are the pubUshers. 



HOW TO CUKE HAMS AISTD SIDES. 



There are many ways to cure hams, but some of 

 them are not desirable, unless we are satisfied to 

 eat poor hams in preference to good. A ham well 

 cured, Avell smoked and well cooked, is a favorite 

 dish with most people, but there are very few in- 

 deed who can relish ham which has been hardened 

 and s])oiled by salt, or tainted for the want of salt 

 in curing, and may be worse spoiled in cooking ; 

 but if ham is spoiled by too much salt, or too lit- 

 tle, or becomes tainted before the salt has thor- 

 oughly penetrated through it, I defy any cook to 

 make a good dish out of it. I have tried many 

 ways in curing hams, and have lost them sometimes 

 by having them become rancid and tainted in warm 

 weather, and also by having them so salt and hai'd 

 that they were unpalatable. 



I have for some twenty years practiced the fol- 

 lowing simple recipe in curing pork hams and 

 shoulders, and find it preferable to any recipe I 

 ever tried, and when I have had any to sell they 

 have taken the preference of sugar cured hams 

 with those acquainted with them. 



I trim the hams and shoulders in the usual way, 

 except I cut the leg off close up to the ham and 

 shoulder, to have them pack close, and as being 

 wortliless smoked ; then sprinkle a little fine salt 

 on the bottom of a sweet cask, and pack down the 

 hams and shoulders promiscuously, as they will 

 best pack in, and sprinkle a Utile fine salt on each 

 laying, just enough to make it show white ; then 

 heat a kettle of water and put in salt, and stir well 

 until it will bear up a good-sized potato, between 

 the size of a quarter and a half dollar ; boil and 

 skim the brine, and pour it on the hams boiling 

 hot, and cover them all over one or two inches 

 dee]) with the brine, having put a stone on tlie 

 meat to keep it down. I sonielimes use saltpetre, 

 and sometimes do not ; consider it useless, except 

 to color the meat. I now use my judgment as to 

 the time to take l!licm out of the brine. If the 

 hams are small, they will cure in three weeks, if 

 largo, say five weeks ; again, if the meat is packed 

 loose, it will take more brine to cover it, conse- 

 quently more salt will ])enetrate the meat in a giv- 

 en time than if it is packed close ; on this account 

 it is useless to weigh the meat and salt for the 

 brine, as the meat must be kept covered with the 

 brine, let it take more or less. Leave the casks 

 uncovered until cool. When the hams have been 

 in brine long enough, I take them out and leave 

 them in the cellar, if the weather is not suitable to 



smoke them. I consider clean corn cobs better 

 for smoking meat than anything I have ever tried, 

 and now vise notliing else ; continue the smoke 

 until it penetrates the meat, or the skin becomes a 

 dark cherry brown. I then wrap the pieces I wish 

 to keep in paper, any time before the bugs or flies 

 have deposited their eggs on them, and pack them 

 dovrzi in casks with dry ashes, in the cellar, whc/e 

 both hams and shoulders will keep as good as 

 when packed, through the summer or year. Cured 

 in this way, it is hard to distinguish betVt'een the 

 shoulder and ham v.'hen boiled. 



A large ham will often taint in the middle before 

 salt or brine wiU penetrate thi-ough. 



now TO CURE SIDE PORK. 



So much for smoked meat ; now if any one wish- 

 es to have his side pork a little better, and keep 

 better than any he has ever had, let him try my 

 way, and if he is not satisfied, let me know it 

 tlu-ough the Ohio Farmer. 



Take out the bone and lean meat along the back, 

 cut and pack the pieces snugly in the barrel, put 

 more salt on the bottom and on each laying of 

 meat than Avill probably penetrate the meat ; then 

 boil and skim the brine (if it is sweet,) and add 

 enough to it to cover your meat two or three in- 

 ches over the top, made strong like the ham brine ; 

 and as soon as you pack your meat, pour the brine 

 on boiling hot ; it will penetrate the meat much 

 quicker than cold brine, and give it an improved 

 tiavor. 



While I was making and pouring the brine on 

 my hams and pork just now packed, I thought the 

 public might be benefited by a knowledge of my 

 way of curing meats. I therefore pubhsh it. Try 

 it. — A. Aylsworth, in Ohio Farmer. 



An Important Work. — Mr. Kennedy, super- 

 intendent of the census, is causing the preparation 

 of a work at Iris Bureau, which is of the greatest in- 

 terest. Taking some sets of large maps of States 

 which are in possession of the government, he 

 causes to be written over the spaces designating 

 counties the number of whites, free-colored, slaves, 

 and men between eighteen and forty-five years of 

 age in such counties ; also, valuable animals with- 

 in such Hmits, as horses, cattle, hogs, sheep, &c. 

 The quantity of leading agricultural products is 

 also noted, and railroads, canals, turnpikes and 

 high roads are accurately delineated, with distan- 

 ces between principal places. 



The maps in question are of great military value 

 at tliis time, and hence Gen. McClellan has de- 

 tailed several competent persons to make trans- 

 cripts for the use of the army. Just now the work 

 is confined to States which are seats of Avar, but it 

 is intended to extend it to all the States, and in 

 the end to have appropriate shadings to represent 

 mineral regions, &.c. Szc. — Baltimore Sun. 



The Horticulturist. — The December num- 

 ber uf this popular periodical is before us, and, as 

 usual, elegant in its a])pearance. It is illustrated 

 by beautifully ])ainted engravings of the "Senior 

 Wrangler," "Diophantus," and "Moor" geraniums. 

 The editor's leader is a continuation of his "Hints 

 on Grape Culture," and is upon the subject of com- 

 posts and manures. 



