GOTHS AND VANDALS VS. SHADE TREES. 
237 
is carried on to any extent. In Cumberland 
and Westmoreland, it is customary, when the 
hams are sufficiently cured, to mix up a species 
of pomatum formed of lard or fat, black pepper, 
and sugar, and rub this over the bottom of the 
harh, but more particularly around, and over 
the end of the bone, filling- the crevices well up 
with this substance; the principal effect of 
which is that it excludes the air, and conse¬ 
quently diminishes the chance of decay from 
ordinary causes, and the pepper decidedly pre¬ 
vents the fly converting it into a nest. With 
careful persons, the ribs, bony parts, and joints 
in bacon are treated in a similar manner ; the 
sugar and pepper have also the effect of giving 
the ham and lean parts of the bacon so treated, 
an additional fine flavor. The only place where 
I have known sugar much used in curing bacon 
is in some parts of Essex, where I have tasted 
it quite sweet with sugar. The fine flavor of 
the Westmoreland and Cumberland hams is 
principally due to the fact of their being fed 
on oat meal and buttermilk, and not to the mode 
of curing. 
Another important fact is, that, whilst firm, 
well-fed hogs absorb less salt than ill-fed ani¬ 
mals ; in fact, though as much salt is used with 
the former when perfectly cured will be by no 
means so salt as the latter, although like means 
are used in each case, and continued in pickle 
or salt a like length of time, and the reason is 
obvious from natural causes. There is not 
much fear of well-fed, firm hogs becoming 
over salt in curing, unless great excess of 
salt and saltpetre are used for the purpose, 
or kept preposterously long in salt. In what¬ 
ever form the flesh of hogs is intended to be 
disposed of, it is requisite that food should be 
withheld from them for at least 16 or 24 hours 
prior to their being slaughtered; and if they 
have previously been driven, they ought to have 
a rest of three or four days before being killed ; 
for if killed when in a nervously excited state, 
or incipient fever, arising from over driving or 
hot weather, the meat will only with difficulty 
“ take the salt.” 
The state of the weather is a matter of great 
importance in curing bacon, warm and very 
moist weather being extremely prejudicial. Hot 
weather is not so injurious as is generally im¬ 
agined, provided, the atmosphere is dry. As, 
however, the atmosphere is generally charged 
with moisture in proportion to its high temper¬ 
ature, the hurtful etfect which frequently fol¬ 
lows curing during the summer season is attrib¬ 
uted to heat instead of the true cause, namely, 
excess of moisture in the atmosphere, the bane¬ 
ful effect of which is heightened by its higher 
temperature, to which may be added the fever¬ 
ish condition of the animal at such seasons; if 
within the curer’s power, his operations ought 
to be regulated rather by the hygrometer 
than by the thermometer. This is, however, 
difficult to accomplish, as hogs should fast 16 
hours before being slaughtered, after which, they 
require to be hung up to cool 16 or 20 more, 
at least 36 hours must elapse before the sides 
are fit for the curer. In our variable climate, 
many changes may occur within that period. 
Severe frosty weather is not otherwise unfavor¬ 
able to curing bacon than that which arises 
from the circumstance that it will not “ take the 
salt” at all,but remains quite fresh, until a thaw 
comes on, when it takes the salt rapidly.— Jour. 
Royal Ag. Soc. 
/ ————- i —• ' 
GOTHS AND VANDALS vs. SHADE TREES. 
Some simple readers of history suppose this 
class of people only existed in Europe; that 
they never overrun America as they did Rome, 
carrying the besom of destruction in their front 
rank wherever they march, and leaving their 
foot prints of fire, to show they have performed 
their office faithfully, of cutting down and com¬ 
mitting to the flames every fine old tree of age 
and beauty they can lay their poisonous fangs 
upon. 
I have seen within a few weeks past, in the 
vicinity of a great commercial town, the stumps 
of a hundred noble old roadside oaks that had 
just been cut down for no other object than the 
fuel, unless it was the gratification of barbaric 
pleasure to the Goth who ordered their destruc¬ 
tion. I have also just been reading an article 
in the “ Western Horticultural Review,” pub¬ 
lished at Cincinnati, which designates this as 
the age of destruction, while speaking, of the 
wanton wickedness of the way the Goths in the 
vicinity of that city are sweeping off all the 
glorious old trees that have beautified and adorn¬ 
ed the hills which surround that great town, 
and which afforded me such cooling shades in 
days of Auld Lang Syne, where I used to re¬ 
cline with book or pencil in hand, looking down 
upon the busy hum below. No wonder, the 
writer alluded to, calls it the age of destruction, 
when he looks out upon those old hills durjng 
the burning days of summer, and sees them 
stripped of their ancient oaks by a spirit of Van¬ 
dalism, that would blot out every line of beauty 
from the face of the earth for a little immediate 
gain. It was such a spirit that doomed to de- 
