FACTS FOR FARMERS.

Waikato Times, Volume II, Issue 88, 21 November 1872, Page 2

FACTS FOR FARMERS.

EE C I IVE1 V E 8' FO It CUBING BAC ON. It appears (says Town and Country) that in certain part* of America, the winners of. prizes lor prepared articles ot produce at agricultural exhibitions are compellcd'to give tno particulars of; their preparat ion. For iilstaneo wo have before ns lour recipes lor curing 1000 pounds of pork, as given by the winners of the- lirst, second, third,, and.fourth pieniiums at a recent exhibition held by the Maryland Mate Agricultural Society.. It will bo interesting for those of our renders concerned in the matter to compare these mot hods with those adopted by themselves, and we shall, therefore, give them in m extenso: — The lirst premium was obtained by Mr Thomas Love., lie mixed iJJlbs siiAtpotrcv, linely powdered, with half a bushel of line salt, 3lbs brown sugar, und half a gallon oi molasses. He rubbed the meat, with.the mixture, and packed with skin down. 11 u turned the meat over once a week, aud. added a little salt. After the meat being down for three or four weeks, lie took it' out, .washod it, and hung it.up lor two or three weeks until it was dry. lie then smoked it ior thitee or. four weeks, and packed it away in a cool place in, chaff or hay. He specially avoided a cellar for the purpose of keeping the meat cool. The secoiul premium was obtained'by Mr T. M'Henry by the following process :—Tho meat after being out out was rubbed' piece by piece with linely powdered, saltpetre on. the • llesli side, and. where the leg was-cut oil', a tablespponiul,. not heaped, was applied to oxch ham, and about hall ol that quantity to each middling and jowl, all well rubbed in. It ■was tlieu salted by packing a thin coating of salt on; .the llesh side of each piece, about half an ineli thick. The pieces were packed on. a scaffolding, or on a ilocv, with strips of planks laid a few inches apart all over it—that is, under the meat. The pieces were placed skin sido down, in the follow-, ing order: —First layer, hams j second, shoulders; third,, jowls; fourth, middlings, with the Bpare ribs taken out.. If the weatlicr Was mild, the meat was allowed to lie for six weeks, and if cold, for eight, the brine being allowed to run ; off freely. Tlio. third premium was won by Mrs Marriot, who adopted the following recipe To halli a bushel of. fine salt was added 31 lis brown sugar, 2 J-lbs saltpetre, half gallon of best molasses. These ingredients were niixod together, and each piece was rubbed well'with the mixture until it was absorbed. The meat was taken out of the- pickle once a week for .six weeks ; the! iifet and sccoi*d'time • the meat was taken out, a plate of alum salt was addfcd to the pickle. The foitrth was won by Mr Charles Jessop, whoso recipo ran thus :—To 2ilbs saltpetre, dried and iinely powdered, •wovo a rldfid half a bushel of>best. Liverpool salt, lilbs brown sugas, and 1 half a gallon af molasses. All.the ingredients were mixed in a: vcbsel, the meat well rubbed down, and paekod with skin down. After being in salt for three or four weeks, the pieces were taken out, washed, cleaned, dried, and liuilg up for smoking. Three weeks were amply sufficient to smoke them thoroughly. When smoked, they were taken down and bagged, or packed away in dry chaff or cut straw. They were examined occasionally, and if found to be at all clamp the packing was renewed with dry material. Thus much lor Messrs Love, M'Henry, Jessop, and Mrs Marriot, and no doubt our bacon curers are indebted to tlio above named quartette for the publication of their recipes. Whether these recipes aro sufficiently explanatory to answer tlio beneficial purposes intended by the originator of tho scheme, we leave the public to decide.

KixftNESS towAKDS Milch Cowh.—One.of the greatest, errors in overcoming cows, (hat are unquiet while being milked, is to whip, boat, lack, and bawl at then). This h generally done, ami t.lio eow becomes afraid or angry, ami instead of becoming belter, grows worse. IVI ileh cow* cannot be whipped or terrified into standing quietly, gently, and patiently during milking. They dislike to be milked, for they kfi'ow tliat loud words and hard blows always attend the operation. They dread to see the milker as the litllo urchin dreads to see the birchen rod in the bunds of an angry pedagogue when he expects to lmve it applied to his back'. A eow kindly n'nd properly treated in pleased to kco milker, gladly awaits his or her approach, and submits with pleasure to the operation of being milked. Every one having experience with cows knows this to be true. liut the cowis opposed to change of milkers ; she soon becomes attached to one person who performs the operation, and does not, willingly and freely givo down her milk to another person ; therefore have one regular milker to certain cows, and bear in mind, if you change milkers, it is at the expense of a loss of milk and injury to the cow. All animals appreciate kind treatment, and resent abusive treatment. It is their nature tir instinct to do this. Therefore, if you would have them gentle and quiet, treat them gently and kindly. See that those who milk can control themselves, govern their passions, speak low and kindly almost under any.provocation, and eoon the cows will learn that they are not going to bo atused, and will submit to the operation. Milking should be performed at regular hours, nob varying fifteen minutes one day from another. No talking or laughing.should bo permitted at the time, and it should be done as speedily us possible.