THE CULTIVATOR. 
183 
saturated with hot water till the hair and scurf comes 
olf easily and smoothly, and this process is continued by 
removing the cloth till the whole is finished. In those 
parts of that country celebrated for their bacon, as 
Hampshire and Lincolnshire, the animal, instead of be¬ 
ing scalded, is singed. He is laid on his side, covered with 
dry straw, which is burned off, and the operation is re¬ 
peated until the hair is destroyed. The reason given 
for this is, that scalding softens the skin, and renders it 
impossible to make the pork into bacon of the best 
quality. In this country, scalding is universally practi¬ 
ced, and is generally performed in a tub or kettle, and 
if effectually performed, is perhaps the best way on the 
whole, that can be adopted. 
After a hog is killed and dressed, the operations of 
salting and packing are to be performed, and on these 
much are depending. Hogs should never freeze before 
cutting up, but should be thoroughly cooled before cut¬ 
ting and salting. If they hang out all night, unless 
there is danger of freezing, they will cut up better, take 
the salt well, and make far sweeter pork, than if the op¬ 
eration of cutting and salting is hurried through be¬ 
fore there has been time to cool. Heavy, thick hogs, 
require particular attention to being spread open, or 
there is great danger of their spoiling in the thickest 
part near the back bone. We have known fine hogs, so 
injured in this way, by a little haste in taking them 
down, and not airing them fully, that they were lost to 
the grower. Be particular then, that your hogs cool 
well. Before commencing operations, it is necessary 
that every thing be in order for packing; that the tubs 
and barrels are perfectly tight; that the salt be of the 
best quality and in abundance ; and then the pork may 
be cut according to the purpose of the proprietor, wheth¬ 
er intended for bacon, barreling, or domestic use. 
None but good salt should be used in packing pork. 
Rock salt, or Onondaga coarse salt is the best, and 
where they can be obtained, should always have the 
perference. The common salt of Onondaga or Ken- 
hawa, or Turks Island, will do very well, but all of 
these have some impurities, that more or less injurious¬ 
ly affect the meat. Perhaps there is no salt superior to 
the Onondaga coarse salt, or that made by evaporation, 
for any purpose where strength and purity are the main 
considerations. At Cincinnatti, the great pork market 
of the United States, 50 lbs. of Turks Island salt is al 
lowed to a barrel, or 200 lbs. of pork; and in addition 
to this, salt added to water to the point of saturation, or 
strong brine, is used to fill the barrels after heading. Of 
rock salt, or Onondaga coarse, from half a bushel to 
three pecks is used for 300 lbs., the barrels to be after¬ 
wards filled with saturated brine. 
Almost every farmer has his own method of cutting 
up his hogs, and packing them; while the law pre¬ 
scribes the manner of packing when intended for the 
market; and multitudes of recipes for pickling pork or 
hams may be found in the agricultural and other publi¬ 
cations of the day. In Europe, the Russian pork bears 
a high price; and its quality is supposed to be owing to 
the pickle in which it is preserved. This is called the 
“ Empress of Russia’s Brine,” and is prepared as fol¬ 
lows :—“ Boil together over a gentle fire six pounds of 
common salt, (that in most common use in Russia, is 
rock salt,) two pounds of powdered loaf sugar, three 
ounces of salt petre, and three gallons of spring or 
pure water. Skim it while boiling, and when quite 
cold, pour it over the meat, every part of which 
must be covered with the brine. Small pork will 
be sufficiently cured in four or five days ; hams in¬ 
tended for drying, in two weeks, unless they are very 
large. This pickle may be used again and again, if it 
be fresh boiled up with a small addition to the ingredi¬ 
ents. Before putting the meat into the brine, wash it 
in water, press out the blood, and wipe it clean.” 
Pickling tubs should be larger at the bottom than at 
top, by which means when well packed, the pork will 
retain its place until the last layer is exhausted. 
When the pork is cool, it may be cut up, the hams and 
shoulders reserved for bacon, and the remainder salted. 
Cover the bottom of the tub or barrel with rock salt, and 
on it place a layer of meat, and so on till the tub is filled. 
Use the salt liberally, and fill the barrel with strong brine, 
boiled and skimmed, and then cooled. The following 
method of preparing hams and shoulders is a good one; 
as many who have tried it in substance, can testify. 
To ascertain the probable weight of the meat to be 
prepared, weigh a number of the hams and shoulders. 
Then pack them with rock salt in a suitable tub or 
cask, being careful not to lay the flat sides of the large 
pieces upon each other, and filling the intervals with 
hocks, jowls, See. To every 300 lbs. of meat, then take 
twenty lbs. of rock salt, or Onondaga coarse salt, one 
lb. of saltpetre, and fourteen lbs. of brown sugar, or 
half a gallon of good molasses, and as much water 
(pure spring water is the best) as will cover the meat ; 
put the whole in a clean vessel, boil and scum; then 
set it aside to cool, and pour it on the meat till the 
whole is covered some three or four inches. Hams 
weighing from 12 to 15 lbs. must lie in this pickle about 
five weeks; from 15 to 25 lbs. six weeks ; from 25 to 
45 lbs. seven weeks. On taking them out, soak them in 
cold water two or three hours to remove the surface 
salt; then wipe and dry them. It is a good plan in cut¬ 
ting up to take off the feet and hocks with a saw in¬ 
stead of an axe, as it leaves a smooth surface, and no 
fractures for the lodgment of the fly. Some make only 
six pieces of a trimmed hog for salting; but it is more 
convenient when intended for domestic use to have the 
side pork as it is called, cut in smaller pieces. 
The goodness of hams and shoulders, and their pre¬ 
servation, depends greatly on their smoking, as well as 
salting. Owing to some misconstruction of the smoke¬ 
house, to the surface of the meat not being properly 
freed from saline matter, or other causes, it not unfre- 
quently happens that during the process of smoking, 
the meat is constantly moist, and imbibes a pyroligne¬ 
ous acid taste and smell, destructive of its good quali¬ 
ties. The requisites of a smoke house are, that it should 
be perfectly dry; not warmed by the fire that makes 
the smoke; so far from the fire that any vapor thrown 
off in the smoke may be condensed before reaching the 
meat; so close as to exclude all flies, mice, &c., and yet 
capable of ventilation and escape of smoke. The West¬ 
phalian hams are the most celebrated in Europe, prin¬ 
cipally cured at and exported from Hamburg. The 
smoking of these is performed in extensive chambers 
in the upper stories of high buildings, some of four or 
five stories ; and the smoke is conveyed to these rooms 
from fires in the cellar, through tubes on which the va¬ 
por is condensed and the heat absorbed, so that the 
smoke is both dry and cool when it comes in contact 
with the meat. They are thus kept perfectly dry, and 
acquire a color and flavor unknown to those smoked in 
the common method. Hams after being smoked may be 
kept any length of time, by being packed in dry ashes, 
powdered charcoal, or by being kept in the smoke house 
if that is* secure against the fly, or a smoke is made 
under them once a week. When meat is fully smoked 
and dried, it may be kept hung up in any dry room, by 
slipping over it a cotton bag, the neck of which is close¬ 
ly tied around the string which supports the meat, and 
thus excludes the bacon bug, fly, &c. The small part 
of a ham, shoulder, &c., should always be hung down¬ 
wards in the process of smoking, or when suspended for 
preservation. 
Agriculture in Canada—Buel’s Address. 
There is, among many individuals, an impression 
that Canada is unsuitable for most of the operations of 
agriculture ; that its climate forbids improvement, and 
that it may as well be abandoned at once to the perpe¬ 
tual reign of frost and famine. This is a most mista¬ 
ken opinion. A glance at the map will show that so far 
as climate is concerned, it is as favorably situated as 
several of the states; an acquaintance with its geologi¬ 
cal structure would prove that a large portion of Cana¬ 
da,—that part bordering on the Ontario and Erie par¬ 
ticularly,—had the same general character in its forma¬ 
tions, as the most fertile parts of New-York ; and an 
examination of the actual state of agriculture in many 
parts would make it apparent, that not only had the 
best breeds of cattle, sheep, and swine been introduced, 
but that in spite of all the difficulties with which agri¬ 
culture has had to contend, in consequence of the un- 
settled state of affairs in those provinces for the past 
few years, great advances have been made, and the 
most approved implements and methods of culture are 
in successful operation. A return of more peaceful 
times, has given a new impulse to the friends of good 
farming, and the formation or re-organization of several 
agricultural societies, those sure precursors of improve¬ 
ment, has already taken place. As conductors of an 
agricultural journal, we find another decisive proof of 
the increasing interest taken in the cultivation of the 
soil by the intelligent farmers of Canada, in the great 
increase of our circulation in those provinces within 
the past year. 
We have before us an address delivered before the 
“ District of Johnstown Agricultural Society,” by Wm. 
O. Buel, Esq. and which both in matter and manner is 
worthy of the important subjects discussed. These re¬ 
late to agriculture itself; to its condition in the dis¬ 
trict embraced by the society; and the suggestion of 
such means of improvement in husbandry as seemed 
best adapted to the country. We should be pleased to 
extract liberally, but our limits forbid. As specimens 
we give one or two detached paragraphs. In treating 
of the best methods of improvement he says:—“But 
agriculture too is progressing by the assistance of sci¬ 
ence in good old England, as also in the United States. 
The efforts made by the learned, by agricultural asso¬ 
ciations, by experiment, are working wonders. The 
spirit has not yet pervaded our own beloved land. The 
way to begin the work is to get up and encourage a 
cheap periodical publication, and let every man feel it 
his duty to extend its circulation. This is a most power¬ 
ful and effective means of doing good; it is no experi¬ 
ment, it has been tried, and bears the impress of wis¬ 
dom upon the face of it. Meanwhile the farmer—eve¬ 
ry farmer—no exceptions—should be supplied with an 
agricultural paper.” After naming the Albany Cultiva¬ 
tor as a valuable and cheap publication, he adds, “ there 
may soon be a Canadian Cultivator .” This last is an 
important suggestion. The farmers of the two Cana¬ 
das ought to give such a paper an efficient support, and 
we know there is talent enough to make a most able 
and interesting journal. 
There is much truth in the following remarks. Let 
every farmer read and remember. “ It is easy to tell a 
good farmer by the appearance of his place and it is 
always a blessing to a neighborhood to have such in 
its midst. People will learn many things from him, 
without being, as it were, aware of it ; they will learn 
in spite pf themselves ; his example and success will in¬ 
fluence them. Now what I wish to say is, that whenever 
you hear of a good farmer, inquire all about him, about 
his farm, what stock he keeps, what grain he raises. 
how far he is from market, of his whole management; 
ask about his family; in short in your own minds, be¬ 
come thoroughly acquainted with him ; and if you find 
any thing worth remembering, which cannot fail to be 
the case, remember it; any thing worth following, follow 
it. You need not wait to hear of a man of this kind, but 
when you meet with another farmer from a distant neigh¬ 
borhood, ask who is the best farmer, and so on. Every 
neighborhood, your own for instance, has some farmers 
better than others,—now why are they better ? make the 
inquiry; trace the thing to the bottom—it may do you 
much good.” 
TOBACCO. 
One of the great staple productions of this country, 
particularly of the southern and western part, is tobac¬ 
co ; and great as is the amount now produced, it is evi¬ 
dent that if the market abroad was not so fettered and 
clogged with vexatious restrictions, and such enormous 
duties, a far greater quantity might be readily grown. 
In Europe, it seems to be a favorite object for excessive 
taxation in nearly every government; and at the great 
meeting of tobacco planters last May, it was shown 
from authentic documents, that on an export of 100,000 
hogsheads, valued here at seven millions of dollars, a 
duty was paid by the consumers in the various coun¬ 
tries of Europe, of more than thirty millions of dollars. 
As a matter of interest to many of our readers, we copy 
or condense from the report of that body, the amount 
of tobacco exported to the European countries respect¬ 
ively, or the most prominent ones: 
Countries. 
Export of Tobacco in Hhds. 
Tax per lh. 
Russia.... 
y 
Holland, ...... 
Belgium,. 
cts. 
« 
Great Britain,. 
.28,772. 
France,... 
Spain,.... 
Portugal,. 
Italian States,. 
Austria,. 
The remainder of the 100,000 hogsheads is distributed 
through the German states, Sardinia, Hungary, &c. &c. 
We have been unable to ascertain the precise duties 
paid in all cases, but the enormous rates of those ascer¬ 
tained, and the fact that the tobacco import is in most 
of the countries of Europe farmed out for a stipulated 
sum, renders it certain that while none are below what 
is here named, some of the highest much exceed the al¬ 
most prohibitory imposts of Great Britain. A duty of 
800 per cent, such as England imposes on our tobacco, 
is an anomaly in the history of trade; and which, under 
all circumstances, may be deemed positively unjust. 
Wheat they can grow to any extent, and we must ex¬ 
pect them to protect their own agriculture. Tobacco 
they cannot grow; it is an article" of almost universal 
consumption; and their scale of duties is such as to b@ 
felt, not only by every consumer of tobacco in the Bri¬ 
tish empire, but on the sources of Green River or the Mi¬ 
ami. Free trade is a good thing; but we have some 
misgivings about the propriety of that trade in which 
all the freedom is on one side. 
The culture of tobacco is every year extending itself 
in the western states, and promises to become a most 
important article of export from the rich districts north 
and south of the Ohio. That tobacco can be grown in 
Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, with a profit 
greater than that attending the culture of wheat and 
corn, seems certain ; and we doubt not that as the culti¬ 
vation progresses, and the better methods of curing are 
adopted, the tobacco of the new states will rival in qual¬ 
ity and celebrity that of the old. The plants on new 
land grow more luxuriantly than on soils cultivated for 
any considerable time; but experience proves that the 
quality is not so fine. The best tobacco in any country, 
is grown on lands in good condition, but not extrava¬ 
gantly rich, or highly manured. 
CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE. 
. The results of this excellent measure undertaken by 
the United States, are beginning to show themselves in 
various reports from single towns or counties which are 
reaching us, and exhibit an amount of product in the 
agricultural districts, of immense amount and value. 
The census of 1840 will be an era in the history of 
American agriculture ; and will furnish a more correct 
view of our country,—our whole country, in this respect 
than has ever been given. The conception was a hap¬ 
py one, and though it cannot be expected to be perfect¬ 
ly accurate in all its parts, it will be so, as far perhaps, as 
such an extended investigation, and a first one, can be 
expected to be. So far as we have been able to learn, 
the amount of grain, particularly wheat and corn, pro¬ 
duced, has exceeded the expectations of all, and demon- 
strated that in growing the staff of life, the United 
States are not behind any country on the globe. The 
value of the bread crops of the north, will, when thus 
ascertained, serve to correct an error into which some 
of our political economists appear to have fallen, in 
comparing the value of the products of different parts 
of our country. There can be no doubt that the tables 
which will be provided from these returns, will furnish 
abundant matter for the consideration of the statesman 
as well as the agriculturist; and as little that the exam¬ 
ple now first set of such an enumeration of the products 
of labor, will be followed at each succeeding census of 
this great nation. 
