128 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Original Papers from (Contributors. 
CURING AND PREPARING PROVISIONS FOR THE 
ENGLISH MARKET. 
The revision of the tariff upon provisions, by the Eng¬ 
lish government, will have a much more important bear- 
ing upon the agricultural interest of this country, than 
any, and indeed all the changes that could be safely made 
in their corn laws. At present prices even, without any 
change in the duty, both beef and pork could be sent to 
the English market at a profit, if it had been cured in 
the same manner, and put up in the same kind of packa¬ 
ges, which has been so long the custom in that country. 
It is useless to expect a whole nation to change their 
customs to suit our views; and if we would avail our¬ 
selves of their markets, we must conform to their cus¬ 
toms and prejudices; if the fixed and unchanging habits 
of a whole nation must be called so. 
Foreseeing that at no distant day the provision busi¬ 
ness must become the great business of the country, while 
in Europe last winter I endeavored to make myself per¬ 
fectly familiar with every thing connected with the pro¬ 
vision trade. I visited the great curing and packing es¬ 
tablishments in Ireland, and made myself master of the 
whole subject of curing and packing provisions. I then 
visited the great markets of Europe, Liverpool and Lon¬ 
don, and under the instruction of some of the oldest and 
most respectable provision merchants of those cities, en¬ 
deavored to make myself thoroughly acquainted with 
every thing relative to the wants and peculiar shades of 
the different markets. While abroad, I gave you the re¬ 
sult of my observations relative to butter and cheese. I 
now give you, in as condensed a form as possible, the 
best method of curing and preparing for the English 
market. Beef and Pork, and hope it will not be without 
interest and profit to your numerous readers, especially 
in the west and southwest. 
Pork —There are various kinds or divisions of 
Pork—depending upon the size and quality of the hog, 
and the market for which it is intended. There is Ba¬ 
con singed and scalded, which is divided into whole side 
Bacon or Middles. Barreled Pork is divided into Prime, 
and Bacon Mess, and is put up into barrels and tierces. 
In some parts of England they will not purchase or 
use scalded bacon, in others they make no difference. In 
this country the market requires but one kind; and there 
is but one kind that can be shipped to any profit, and that 
is known as tierce middles. 
Whole side bacon is prepared by cutting out the chine 
or back bone, cutting the head off close at the ears as 
possible, and the legs at the knee joint. The ribs are 
broken by passing a fine saw across them two or three 
times, the shoulder blade taken out, and the whole side 
trimmed and made to look smooth and sightly. If it is 
from a heavy hog, the knife is run into the ham so as to 
enable the salt to penetrate readily to the knuckle joint, 
and sometimes about the fore shoulder. From the cut¬ 
ting block, it is passed to the rubbing table. Here all the 
holes are filled with salt, and salt is spread freely over it, 
and rubbed in by men with a kind of iron glove upon 
their hands. After the salt has been well rubbed in, the 
sides are piled up on the floor in layers of from six to 
ten deep, flesh side up, salt being freely put between 
each side. During the process of curing, the sides are 
repacked several times, depending upon the weather, 
sometimes as often as every other day. In about ten 
days the meat is sufficiently cured for market. The salt 
is brushed off clean with a twig broom, the side again 
carefully trimmed, scraped and smoothed down by beat¬ 
ing it with a flat board, and then passed to the baling or 
packing room. Five sides are put together, with atfiin 
layer of salt between each, and then sewed up in a coarse 
kind of bagging manufactured for the purpose. In this 
condition it is shipped to the London market, and with a 
little care will keep in good order for months. Hams 
and shoulders are cured in the same manner, except some 
use saltpetre with the salt when first rubbed in. Many 
prefer their bacon and hams dried rather than smoked, 
but when smoked great care is taken to keep the meat 
of as white a color as possible. To do this well, the 
meat should be quite dry when hung up in the smoke. 
Competition is very keen among the Irish and Continen¬ 
tal provision curers, and great skill is used to make the 
best article. Hence the utmost pains are taken in curin«- 
and putting up their bacon, hams, and dried beef, and 
many of the most intelligent men of the country are among 
the provision merchants of Ireland and Hamburgh". 
Tierce Middles are the middle or broadside of the hog, 
between the ham and shoulder. It is cured in the same 
manner as the whole side, but in preparing for the Eng¬ 
lish market, I should recommend to put it up clear of all 
bone, arid should therefore take out not only the chime, 
but all the ribs. It is put up in tierces holding about 300 
lbs., and treated the same as salted pork. 
A profitable trade might be carried on between West¬ 
ern New-York and the New England states, during the 
fall and winter, in baled bacon, if freight could be carried 
over the Utica and Schenectady railroad at reasonable 
rates, and Boston would become our best market for most 
if not all kinds of provisions, as we should not be com¬ 
pelled to keep our pork or beef on hand until the open¬ 
ing of navigation in the spring. 
Pork is cut into 4 or 6 lb. pieces, according to the size 
of the hog. Where the carcase weighs 250 and under, 
it is cut into 4 lb. pieces; large hogs are cut into 6 lb. 
pieces. The hog is first split through the back bone in 
half. Then passed to the trimming block where the 
half head and legs are cut off, the leaf and tender loin ta¬ 
ken out, and the whole side split lengthwise through both 
the shoulder and ham, and as near the center as is con¬ 
sistent with the proper shape and size of the different 
pieces. From the trimming block the strips pass to the 
scales, where the weight is ascertained, and called to the 
man at the cutting block, who divides each strip into the 
requisite sized pieces. Both the splitting and piercing 
require skill and judgment, as much depends upon hav¬ 
ing the pieces well and sizeably cut. From thence it 
goes to the rubbing table where each piece is thoroughly 
rubbed in salt in the same manner as in curing bacon. 
After the salt has been well rubbed in, it is put into pick¬ 
ling tubs holding from three to five hundred pounds, well 
covered with salt, but no water or brine added. Here 
they remain from 8 to 10 days. It is then taken to the 
washing trough or vat, where each piece is thoroughly 
washed in clean brine, trimmed, and tormented, as the 
process of trying is called. The tormentor is an instru¬ 
ment of wood or metal, the size of a small dish, and is 
thrust into the lean parts of each piece, to ascertain that 
it is properly cured and free from taint. It is then mess¬ 
ed and weighed, so that the requisite number of pieces 
shall weigh exactly the number of pounds for the barrel 
or tierce. It is then put up in the proper package, and 
freely salted while packing, and saltpetre added at the 
rate of a common wine glass full to the 100 lbs. The 
last layer is pounded in by a heavy iron weight, and 
capped with coarse salt. It is then passed to the cooper, 
who puts in the head, and puts on to the barrel one, and 
on to the tiei'ce at least three iron hoops at each end. 
The package is then filled with clean strong - brine, 
bunged tight, branded, and is then ready for market. 
I he great utility of this method of curing consists in 
the certainty of the meat keeping in good condition for 
years in any climate. The blood gets all drained out of 
the meat before it is barreled, and hence one great cause 
of injury is avoided. I saw pork and beef which had 
been two years in the barrel, which was as sweet as 
when first put up, and the brine was perfectly clear. A 
friend in London, unpacked several packages of Irish and 
Hamburgh cured provisions, by the side of American. 
I he contrast was anything but flattering to our taste or 
skill. I could very readily see why our beef and pork 
bore so bad a name in the market, and w r as so much of a 
drug. The meat was not inferior, but it was badly mess¬ 
ed, worse cut and cured, and the brine nearly as red as 
blood, and presenting by the side of the other, not a very 
palatable appearance. The larg - e hog's or heavy pork, 
which is uniformly cut into 6 lb. pieces, is packed in 
tierces, and is called India or navy pork. The 4 lb. pie¬ 
ces are put in barrels. 
A barrel of Prime Pork should contain from 25 to 30 
pieces, cut from the ribs, loins, chines, and belly pie¬ 
ces, all lying between the ham and shoulder, forming 
what is called the broad side or middle. 3 hands and 2 
hind leg pieces, or 3 hind leg pieces and 2 hands, and 
15 or 20 pieces from other parts of the hog, except no 
part of the head. The meat must be of prime qualitv, 
firm, and well fattened, cut into 4 lb. pieces, exactly 50 
to the barrel, and weigh not less than 200 lbs. net, and 
must have a good capping of St. Ubes, or other coarse 
salt. This is indispensible. Bacon Mess Pork, is so call¬ 
ed, when the full proportion of prime pieces in Prime 
Mess is withheld; there is therefore various classes of 
Bacon Pork. Tierces contain the same number, that is, 
50 pieces of (3 lbs., and the same rules as to messing, are 
to be observed, as in the barrel. The tierce must have 
not less than 300 lbs., and well capped with salt. It is 
usual to put in 52 pieces. In Bacon Mess, the number 
of prime mess pieces should be marked upon the head. 
No part of the hog’s head is allowed in any instance. 
Beef is uniformly cut into 8 lb. pieces, and cured in all 
particulars, precisely as pork, except a larger proportion 
of saltpetre is used in packing. Beef is almost entirely 
packed in tierces. For export,tierces only should be used. 
A tierce of Prime India Beef, should contain 42 pieces, 
8 lbs. each, and weigh not less than 336 lbs. net. It 
should be made from well fed bullocks, and contain 32 
pieces of loins, flanks, rumps, plates, buttocks and bris¬ 
kets; 10 pieces, consisting of 4 chines, 2 mouse buttocks, 
2 shells of rumps, 2 pieces cut close up to the neck, with 
bone taken out; no shins, thigh bones, or necks. To be 
well salted, and capped with St. Ubes or other coarse salt. 
A tierce of Prime Mess Beef, should contain 38 pieces 
of 8 lbs., and weigh not less than 304 lbs. net. It should 
be made from prime fat cows and heifers, 28 pieces of 
prime, from loins and chines, with one rib in each, 
flanks, rumps, plates, briskets and buttocks, with 10 
coarse pieces, consisting-of 2 neck pieces, not the scrag, 
2 thighs or buttock bones, with some meat to them, 2 
shells of rumps, 2 or even 4 chines, not cut too close to 
the neck, and 2 shoulder pieces with part of blade bone 
in them, well salted and capped with St. Ubes or other 
coarse salt. The tierces, whether for beef or pork, must 
be made of well seasoned oak, with 8 wooden, and 3 
iron hoops on each end. 
No pains to be spared in preparing and putting up, as 
the neat and tasty appearance of the packages will insure 
a more ready sale, than if put up in a slovenly manner. 
There is much that one cannot well make intelligible 
upon paper, and can only be learned by personal obser¬ 
vation. I have endeavored to communicate enough to 
enable any experienced butcher or packer to prepare 
provisions for a foreign market, if desirous so to do; and 
the method described is the one in general use in Eu¬ 
rope, and if adopted in this country, will enable us to 
enter the English market in successful competition with 
the Continent. I trust the season will not pass without 
finding several establishments preparing and curing pro¬ 
visions according to the Irish method. I had intended 
to have given their method of preparing Lard, but this 
article has gone to such a length already, that I must de¬ 
fer it until another number. 
Darien, Genesee Co. N. Y. T. C. Peters. 
STRAIGHT ROWS, AND CORN GROUND GUAGE 
MARKER.—(Fig. 72.) 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —How few there are 
among the agriculturists in this extensive country, who, 
when preparing their ground in the spring, for the re¬ 
ception of the seed, (and I say it with regret,) mark it 
out in perfectly straight rows. But the reason? 
First, say they, “ it is of little or no consequence to 
have the rows entirely straight, for more corn will grow 
in a crooked row, than in a straight one; and it will grow 
just as well, and just as large.” 
And secondly, “ if we are going to be so particular, 
and undertake to have every row exactly straight, wew- 
ver ; shall finish planting; and so we must go ahead, and 
finish it at some rate or other.” 
Now, I am one of those sort of chaps, who will baulk, 
square from the mark, at such half-way, any-how busi¬ 
ness. My motto is, be sure I am right, and then go straight 
ahead, or not at all. 
But the idea, that too many cherish, that more corn 
will grow in a crooked row, than in a straight one, is 
altogether wrong; and it will require no profound logic 
to refute it; for when rows run both ways, there are just 
as many hills in a row, if it crooks half way across the 
field. 
And, furthermore, when the rows are entirely straight, 
and exactly parallel with each other, the horse and cul¬ 
tivator will pass between them, with little or no danger 
of treading down or tearing up any corn; whereas, if 
they stand like the honest Indian’s trees, so that two on¬ 
ly will range, it might be a matter of expediency to have 
leather goggles on the fore end of the cultivator, in order 
to avoid running over those hills that might be in the way. 
In my travels, I have observed, with the ey r e of a con¬ 
noisseur, the many fields of grain, and the rows; and the 
number which were marked out entirely straight; but a 
vast majority of them, look for straightness, says Orson 
Cardin, “ as if the grain sprang up spontaneously from 
the seed, which was scattered there by the wind, or as 
if some harum scarum had planted in the mark made by 
a crooked rail, which had been hauled across by a zig¬ 
zag streak of the electric fluid.” 
Straight rows are the beauty of the corn field, as straight 
fences exhibit the Older and neatness of the farm; and, 
in my humble opinion, are in a measure characteristic 
of the intelligent and systematic farmer. 
Who can look on a field of corn, just after the tender 
spires have emerged from the fertile soil, and view the 
beautiful green leaves expanding wider, and shooting 
higher, to catch the refreshing dew, which on them glit¬ 
ters in the sun beams of the morning, « like diamonds in 
sockets of gold,” and not experience, in some degree, a 
kindling up of his feelings into rapture? 
But many consider it almost an impossibility to work 
corn ground entirely straight; the reason is obvious, 
they undertake to perform that difficult piece of labor, 
with a very improper tool. Some use the sleigh, others 
a couple of pieces of wood pinned together, and a varie¬ 
ty of other tools, with which I would defy the face of 
clay to make a straight mark; and thus they are obliged 
to guess at a part, and then take up with crooked rows. 
Now this is absolutely out of order, as every one may 
see; and the difficulty may be remedied, by using the 
guage marker, a cut of which, I transmit to you. 
It is simple in its construction, performs its work with 
the greatest accuracy and perfection, makes the rows of 
an uniform width, and in fact, is just the utensil for that 
business. We have used this only, for a number of years 
to mark with, and experience clearly demonstrates that 
it is superior to any thing now in use. But to the de¬ 
scription. 
The head, into which the thills, handles and markers, 
are morticed, is a piece of timber six inches in diameter, 
and seven feet in length, so that the marks will be three 
feet distant, (more or less, if necessary.) The markers 
incline backward at an angle of forty-five degrees, and 
the outside ones return in their own mark, in order to 
gauge the distance, which is guessed at when we mark 
with the plow, &c. By taking a little pains, in making 
the first mark straight, the whole field may be marked as 
straight as we can draw a line. This is just such a ma¬ 
chine as each farmer should have; for it will mark as 
fast again as the plow, and will make the mark on the sur¬ 
face of the ground, which is all that is necessary for corn. 
Farmers, try the gauge, and my word for it, if you use 
it right, (which, by the way, one in fifty cannot at first,) 
I will guarantee your rows so straight, that a cannon ball 
would clip every hill in a row. Yours truly, 
Lansing, Tompkins co., N. Y. S. E. Todd. 
