1891 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
35 
CARE OF SIDE PORK AND HAMS. 
N the light of modern hygiene I suppose 
it is rank heresy to even write a recipe 
for pickling pork. It is a notable fact that 
the Jews die though they never eat the 
flesh of swine. I wonder if they enjoy bet¬ 
ter health than is allotted to us to whom it 
was not prohibited. Most people like ham 
and bacon and to the farmerine who is five 
miles or more from the nearest butcher, a 
barrel of nice, sweet pork means a consider¬ 
able variety of meat food. However, the 
first consideration is to get the pork into 
the barrel in such shape that it is sure to 
come out in nice condition when needed. 
The barrel must be perfectly clean. If it 
has been used for meat before, there must 
be no suspicion of taint. (A barrel which 
has held any kind of liquor will not keep 
pork.) The bottom should be covered with 
salt. It is said that rock salt is best. Put 
in a layer of pork, allowing an inch or more 
of space between it and the sides of the 
barrel. Lay all pieces on the side with the 
rind towards the side of the cask. Fill the 
spaces and cover the meat with salt. Con¬ 
tinue to pack in this way until the barrel is 
nearly full, keeping the sides well filled 
with salt. Lay a board over the top of the 
meat, rounded at the corners so it will cover 
it. Weight with one or two clean stones 
and fill the barrel with saturated brine. 
When warm weather approaches, pour off 
the brine, scald and skim it and when per¬ 
fectly cold return it to the meat. Be sure 
that the latter is always kept under the 
brine. 
For hams and bacon make a brine as fol¬ 
lows: Take half as much water as will be 
needed to cover the meat and put in all 
the salt it will dissolve, then add the other 
half of the water, with two quarts of molas¬ 
ses and one-fourth of a pound of saltpeter 
for each hundred pounds of meat. Pack 
the meat in a sweet, clean cask, pour the 
brine over it and in six weeks it will be suf¬ 
ficiently pickled. The hocks are nice 
pickled in this brine also. Another way of 
preparing hams and bacon is to rub them 
several times on the flesh side with the fol¬ 
lowing mixture: eight pounds of salt, one- 
fourth of a pound of saltpeter and either 
six pounds of soft sugar or one gallon of 
molasses. 
This makes delicious hams, but consider¬ 
able space is required to store the meat 
while it is being seasoned, s. A. little. 
FURS AND FUR ANIMALS. 
HE present is emphatically a season 
of furs; indeed, they seem with 
each recurring season to become more and 
more a staple article in woman’s wardrobe. 
So astonishingly has the art of imita¬ 
tion developed that they are now brought 
within the reach of all, and so perfect has 
deception become that only experts are 
proof against it. It may, therefore, be 
both interesting and helpful for women to 
know more of the facts pertaining to furs 
and fur animals. 
Women in general have many erroneous 
ideas pertaining to dress and the proper 
way to purchase it, and a common error of 
this kind consists in thinking that old 
established houses which show only the 
finest grades of furs of necessity charge the 
highest prices. This is not the case, and 
when one has learned all that she can per¬ 
taining to the subject, her safety lies in 
dealing with those who not only know, but 
will give their patrons the benefit of their 
knowledge. 
There is a marked difference in the color 
and appearance of furs at different seasons 
of the year, as well as on different parts of 
the body of an animal. The coats of all 
fur-bearing animals are handsomest in the 
winter, and the colder the climate of their 
locality the better the fur. Many varieties 
of fur are subjected to the process known 
as “ pluckingthis consists in removing 
the long hairs which conceal the down or 
fur proper. 
I suppose most people know that the 
beautiful, glossy seal fur which is so justly 
popular, is a much-dyed fur, being subjected 
to from 12 to 18 processes. In its rough 
state it is a coarse-haired fur of a gray 
Please mention The R. N.-Y. to our adver¬ 
tisers. 
When Baby was sick, we gave her Castoria, 
When she was a Child, she cried for Castoria, 
When she became Miss, she clung to Castoria, 
When she had Children, she gave them Castoria. 
tinge. Pretty shoulder capes are made 
of the undyed seal. 
The fashionable favorite is Russian 
sable. This, however, is very expensive 
and comparatively very little of it is worn. 
It is the fur of a little animal found in the 
Siberian mountains, to obtain which trap¬ 
pers suffer greatly from cold, hunger, and 
the danger from wild animals. In winter 
its color is a beautiful deep, rich brown, 
but in summer it is much lighter, and has 
gray spots on the head and breast. 
Next in rank comes the Hudson Bay 
sable, which is the fur of the pine marten. 
The beech or stone marten was a new pro¬ 
duction last season and much in vogue. 
Its colors are a very dark, luminous brown, 
nearly black, a red brown and a yellow 
brown. Then comes the popular fur called 
black or Labrador marten, which is none 
other than the American skunk. This is a 
wonderful demonstration of “ What’s in a 
name ?” for this fur lends itself to such 
various methods of treatment that thous¬ 
ands of women wear it as Alaska sable, 
polar bear and Labrador marten, who 
would scorn it under its real name. 
Mink, though far less in vogue than 
either sable or bear, is known as the 
standard American fur. The United States 
exports great quantities of this fur, the 
finest of which comes from New Jersey and 
Pennsylvania. It is yellowish-brown and 
dark brown in color, unscrupulous dealers 
often selling the latter for Hudson Bay 
sable. What is known to the trade as 
“ French mink,” is muskrat. This is also 
an American animal about the size of a 
rabbit, with reddish-brown fur. Russian 
otter is dyed muskrat. Indeed imitators 
have almost a monopoly of the names of 
Russia and Alaska, until one almost sus¬ 
pects any fur bearing their names. 
Russian hare is German rabbit dyed. 
The cheap capes of straight, black hair are 
generally known by this name. 
Lynx is a very handsome fur, and as the 
animal is of fair size and not rare, it is 
cheaper than most of the genuine furs. The 
bay lynx or wild cat is about the size of a 
large domestic cat, and has reddish-brown 
fur in winter. The marsh lynx is gray 
with dark bands; while the Canadian lynx 
is larger than either, and is gray above 
with dark clouds below. In the choicest 
specimens the fur is silky and light. Sea 
otter is an expensive* and handsome fur, 
not as fine, but darker in color than beaver, 
although it is often taken for the latter. 
The beaver is found in many parts of the 
United States, and in Canada at Hudson’s 
Bay. 
The Astrakhan and Persian lamb furs 
are jet black by nature, but the skins are 
dyed to prevent their showing through the 
fur. London dyers do this most success¬ 
fully without disturbing the curl, and they 
also give us the highest grade of sealskin. 
It is said that the fur of the Krimmer and 
Persian lamb obtains its beautiful tight 
curl through killing the mother before the 
birth of the lamb. 
Another much prized but very expensive 
fur is the silver fox. The blue fox has long 
fur of slate color tinged with blue. These 
are both Arctic animals, but the fur of the 
prairie fox constitutes most of that in the 
market. 
A beautiful, long fluffy fur is that of the 
bear, much used for shoulder capes, for 
trimming other furs, and for collars and 
muffs. The latter are rather larger than 
those worn last season, causing those made 
of fluffy furs to quite resemble those car¬ 
ried by our grandmothers. 
KATHERINE B. JOHNSON. 
A REMINISCENCE ; AND A QUES¬ 
TION. 
HILE airing the sleeping-rooms this 
morning my mind was busy re¬ 
hearsing what I had read of rules for 
health, and the actual necessity for pure, 
fresh air surrounding us at all times; 
when, suddenly, as if by magic, a picture 
seemed to swing out from memory’s walls 
before my mental vision. 
A small wooden house, built upon the 
slope of a hill, into which a pale-faced, 
fragile looking girl was ushered at the close 
of a winter’s day, after a long, cold ride in 
a comfortless lumber wagon. 
“ Well, ma, I’ve brought the school 
marm,” said the rough, but good-natured 
farmer to his wife, as he brought in the 
small trunk and led the way into the sit¬ 
ting-room. 
‘•Ma,” a large-framed, pleasant-faced 
woman rose from her seat with some exer¬ 
tion and met the young lady with a cordial, 
motherly greeting, calling her daughter, 
Rose, to take the teacher’s hat and cloak 
and put them away. 
Rose was a rose indeed, having the rosi 
est cheeks and the brightest of black eyes, 
an abundance of dark brown hair and a 
brilliantly beautiful complexion. One 
could not help admiring the robust and 
healthful coloring, though her features 
were too irregular for artistic beauty. 
After she had done justice to a bountiful 
supper, and spent the evening hours in 
friendly chat with her entertainers, the 
young teacher was shown to her room, 
which was to be shared with the fair faced 
Rose, who was but a year or so younger, 
and on the Monday following would be¬ 
come one of her pupils. 
The “room” had that day been parti¬ 
tioned off from the main room upstairs for 
the benefit of “ the girls,” and was just 
six feet square, without even a single pane 
of glass to “throw a bit of light upon the 
subject” when the door was closed. 
The girls were soon on social terms when 
left to themselves; but sleep soon closed 
their eyes, and, strange to say, their slum¬ 
bers were sweet and refreshing, and the 
morning found them ready for duty. The 
beds were “ made up ” before breakfast, 
with no thought of airing ; poisoned air in 
a sleeping-room was almost unheard of. 
Hygiene was not then an every-day study, 
and physiology was only taken up in vil¬ 
lage schools by a few well-advanced schol¬ 
ars, and then with no thought of making it 
in the least practical, except perhaps in the 
way of teaching. No newspapers or books 
by the best authors on scientific subjects, 
found their way into this home, for neither 
father nor mother was a reader. Sometimes, 
however, a story book was borrowed from 
a neighbor or far-away friend; and this 
was read aloud for the benefit of the 
family. 
But the winter passed quickly away, and 
when the school was closed and the teacher 
returned to her friends, all remarked her 
changed appearance, and, strange to say, 
it was for the better. The pale face had 
become fresh and fair as the morning ; the 
thin, fragile form had gained many pounds 
of solid flesh, and robust health was hers, 
although she had slept all winter in that 
closet, where no fresh air could come at 
night; and where, when the door was open 
through the day, the air must come from 
the kitchen below, for the one wee window 
that lighted the main room was immov¬ 
able in winter. 
It may be seen that the chance for pure, 
fresh air in the upper story of that house 
was very small. The question that arose 
in my mind was, if the air were poisoned, 
as science teaches, how could that teacher 
regain health and flesh under such circum¬ 
stances ? MAT MAPLE. 
HOMELY HINTS. 
W HILE busily engaged in my morn¬ 
ing work our laddie rushed in and 
said: “Sister, have you time to find my 
skull-cap ? Now, ’tis so cold I need it.” 
This causes me to think that such an 
article might serve some other school boy a 
good purpose, as it can be used as a foot¬ 
ball without being much the worse for it, 
so I give the directions for making it: 
Obtain yarn of any color or of any two 
colors, one for the top of the crown, the 
other for the remainder. Begin in the 
middle of the crown and crochet in con¬ 
tinuous rounds—any close stitch will do— 
widening as the work needs to keep it flat 
until about one inch larger than the crown 
of the hat worn. 
For the bottom of the cap cast on as 
many stitches as will make a snug fit 
around the head—I used 80—seam one 
and knit one alternately. Knit a finger or 
more, or as long as it is desired to make 
the cap. Sew the two parts together, 
stretching the lower part well, so that the 
fullness will come evenly all around the 
cap. Crochet or knit a lining for the lower 
half of the same color to turn up; the re¬ 
mainder may be lined with cloth if pre¬ 
ferred. Finish the top with a crochet but¬ 
ton. This makes a warm, serviceable cap. 
* * * * 
A pair of little girl’s under-pants, now too 
short, may be made to last another winter 
by tacking on a pair of woolen stocking 
legs, too much worn for footing, placing 
the worn or darned sides at the back. 
* * * * 
We use the fat that rises from boiling 
meats for frying doughnuts, skimming it 
from the liquor, melting, and pouring it 
into cold water. The oftener it is melted 
and poured into the water the nicer it is. 
When about to use it allow time for the 
water to evaporate before using. Meat 
fryings can be utilized in the same way, 
if not scorched. A. A. c. 
In writing to advertisers please always 
mention The Rural New-Yorker. 
Each Season 
Has its own peculiar malady; but with tho 
blood maintained in a state of uniform vigor 
and purity, by the use of Ayer’s Sarsaparilla, 
the system readily adapts itself to changed 
conditions. Composed of the best alteratives 
and tonics, and being highly concentrated, 
Ayer’s Sarsaparilla is the most effective and 
economical of all blood medicines. 
“ For some years, at the return of spring, 
I had serious trouble with my kidneys. I 
was unable to sleep nights, and suffered 
greatly with pains in the small of my back. 
I was also afflicted with headache, loss of 
appetite, and indigestion. These symptoms 
were much worse last spring, especially the 
trouble with my back. A friend persuaded 
me to use Ayer’s Sarsaparilla. I began 
taking it, and my troubles all disappeared.” 
— Mrs. Genevra Belanger, 24 Bridge st, 
Springfield, Mass. 
Ayer’s Sarsaparilla 
PREPARED BY 
DR. J. C. AYER & CO., Lowell, Mass. 
Sold by Druggists. $l,six$5. Worth $5 a bottle. 
Tutt’s Hair Dye 
Gray liair or whiskers changed to a glossy 
hlaok by a single application of this Dye. 
It imparts a natural color, acts instantane¬ 
ously and contains nothing injurious to the 
hair. Sold by all druggists, or sent by ex¬ 
press on receipt of price, $1.00. Ollice, 39 
& 41 Park Place, New Turk. 
ALNEER'S 
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mailed IW*" Fit EE. Market Gar¬ 
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AXiNEER ItltOS. 
EOGKPORD, ILL. 
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Zine conaunea oy ucnni/ a »/•*. utimit 
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Each Number lias 84 pages, beautifully illus¬ 
trated and contains FASHIONS, IIOUSK- 
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CEIPTS, A RT INSTRUCTIONJ 
CORRESPONDENCE, IN TII El 
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Maker, > Salaries Paid 
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rat. ltoy 18 , 
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liberal discounts to the trade. Write for special 
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