PORK—BACON—HAM.—NO. 7. 
299 
cut in slices and hung upon poles overhead. 
This is Mary’s accepted lover. Happy hearts 
and blessed industry. Marv, Ab, and Sol are 
engaged with the school master around the big 
table, lighted by a home-made candle ; they are 
studying geography, writing, and arithmetic— 
fitting themselves for future statesmen. Mother 
is making a new coat for one of the boys, Ada 
is ironing at a side table, and Hitty is washing 
the supper dishes at another. There are two 
other members of this happy family group—the 
cat occupies the top of the blue-dye tub, which 
stands in one corner of the fireplace, and Old 
Bose sleeps quietly under the table. Directly, 
and before any sound is audible to human ear, 
he gets up, walks out into the long entry and 
gives a loud sharp bark at the outside door and 
stands waiting the approaching step. Soon sat¬ 
isfied that the new comer is a friend, he retires 
again to his repose, and three or four boys that 
look as though they might be brothers to those 
already described, so much are they dressed 
alike, enter and draw around the table with the 
others and the schoolmaster. These are from 
a neighboring farm, sons of a widow, who have 
till now been so much engaged with the labors 
of the farm, they have been unable to attend 
the school in the day time, but are determined 
to loose none of the evening opportunities to 
keep along with their class. These will make 
honest, intelligent, industrious farmers. The 
old folks welcome them heartily, and the young 
ones are all rejoiced at their arrival. The old 
lady inquires why in the world their mother 
did not come along; and Mary, the kind-hearted 
Mary, is so sorry to hear that it is because Sa¬ 
rah is not so well, and mother is very busy get¬ 
ting their new clothes done so they can go to 
school, as soon as they finish picking apples. 
“ John,” says she, 4i let us hurry and get through 
our 4 stent ’ and we will go over to the widow’s 
and while I help her with her sewing, you shall 
read for the amusement of poor Sarah, for an 
hour or two.” “ If that is the case ” says father, 
laying down his axe handle, “ my good children, 
you shall go now. I will finish your work.” 
44 And Mary, my dear girl, don’t go empty hand¬ 
ed,” says mother, “ you know from experience 
how sweet little delicacies brought by friendly 
hands to the side of a sick bed, are to the poor 
invalid.” “ Hitty, my dear, if you have done 
your dishes, you must get your cards and make 
a few rolls, for I am quite out of grey yarn, and 
we must have some more stockings in the work.” 
44 Old man, don’t cut that pumpkin too thick.” 
44 Ada, daughter, get a plate of doughnuts and 
some of those nice fall pippins and set on the 
table, I guess these boys can eat a few while 
they are cyphering. I do wonder if jmu have 
got light enough.” 44 Sol, get another candle, I 
am sure such industrious boys ought to have all 
the light they want.” 
Thus, my readers, I have given you a slight 
outline of a farmer’s home, such as it used to 
be, such as it might be, such as it should be 
always, and such as I am proud to say many 
an American farmer can boast of, even in these 
degenerate days of 44 boughten-stuffgowns” and 
lack-a-daisical lounging of farmer’s girls, who 
are miserable and tired of nothing to do. How 
do you like the picture'? If well, imitate it. It 
is a happiness easily acquired. 
Solon Robinson. 
PORK—B AC ON—HAM.—No. 7. 
The difference between hogs that have been 
well and ill fed consists mainly in the circum¬ 
stance that the well-fed hogs have their cellu¬ 
lar tissue firmly knit together, enveloping firm 
and well-filled cells of fat Indifferently-fed 
hogs have the muscular or lean parts loose and 
flabby, the cellular tissue and enveloped fat is 
also loose, and sinks easily on pressure by the 
finger. The tissues, instead of being firm and 
elastic, and of a white color, will be found soft, 
non-elastic, and of an opalescent color, similar 
to that of ordinarily-formed calve’s-foot jelly 
prior to being clarified for table. The fat par¬ 
ticipates in this color in consequence of the tis¬ 
sues being soft and large, though containing 
more moisture than those of well-fed hogs, 
which also accounts for the deficiency of elas¬ 
ticity ; the cells are imperfectly filled with fat. 
From the preceding details, it will be appa¬ 
rent that a much greater quantity of moisture, 
or brine, may be anticipated in salting an ill- 
fed over that which will issue from a well-fed 
hog; and in practice, such is found to be the 
case ; the moisture withdrawn is replaced on 
drying by crystals of salt filling up, the vacant 
interstices, which, as these will always be much 
more numerous in lean than fat hogs, will cause 
the bacon on drying to be disagreeably salt. 
The far-famed Westphalian hams have to be 
steeped prior to cooking, in consequence of 
this property; well-fed Westphalian hams, a 
rara avis , do not require steeping prior to cook¬ 
ing. It is evident from the property here de¬ 
scribed that any mode of procedure which will 
prevent an undue flow of the sapid fluids which 
exist in the pork, is desirable if unattended with 
more than commensurate disadvantages. This 
can be done by applying in the first instance, a 
