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     I43 
     
     THE FARMERS DEPARTMENT. 
     
     GROUND OYSTER SHELL AND BONE 
     
     MAN URE. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     The great value of ground oyster shells a- a 
     
     manure for light sandy soils, will be apparent 
     
     to the mind of every sgriculturist on a mo- 
     
     ment’s reflection. Containing a large portion 
     
     of saline, animal and marine vegetable matter, 
     
     itimmediately enriches the soil, and keeps it 
     
     cool and moist, while by its gradual decom- 
     
     position, a permanent and rich manure is sup- 
     
     plied. For stitl‘, clayey, and sour land, burnt 
     
     shell is undonbtedly much the best; and thus in 
     
     this, as in allotlicr cases of the application of 
     
     mannre,a proper discrimination is necessary 
     
     to the appropriation of‘ that which is best adapt- 
     
     ed to the different kinds of soil. Hence the 
     
     great utilityofa knowledge ofagricultural che- 
     
     mistry. A very partial acquaintance with 
     
     this branch of chemistry, however. will enable 
     
     any farmer to distinguish between soils 
     
     which require lime and those which require 
     
     ground shell. Ground oyster shells we believe 
     
     will be the cheapest and best manure that can 
     
     be applied to lands adapted to its use. Garde- 
     
     ners near the city will find especial benefit 
     
     from its application, as it will not only prove im- 
     
     mediately effectual, but enrich their soil for 
     
     many year. There are some vegetables that 
     
     absolutely require this species of manure to 
     
     bring them to the state of perfection of which 
     
     they are capable, and indeed which is natu. 
     
     ral to them. Of this class are all marine ve- 
     
     getables, such as asparagus. scakale, 8:0. It 
     
     is believed that ifasparazus beds were once well 
     
     dressed with grennd oyster shells, they would 
     
     yield much more abundantly and much finer as- 
     
     paragus than they do with stable manure. For 
     
     proof ofthis let any one examine the natural 
     
     growth of asparagus on the shell lnnks on the 
     
     shores of the inlets along the southern sea- 
     
     coast. And that such manure is essenti'l to 
     
     the perfection ofseakale, is proved by the fact, 
     
     that this excellent vegetable is found in its 
     
     natural state nowhere but on the sea-coasts, 
     
     where it can have the advantage of marine 
     
     manure. 
     
    

    
     Ground bones as manure. The value of 
     
     this kind of manure has been sufficiently tested 
     
     in England, where it is used most extensively. 
     
     That country pays several millions of dollars 
     
     annually for bones brought from the continent 
     
     for manure. The mills for grinding bones in 
     
     England generally consist of two sets of grin- 
     
     ders, one above the other; the one for break. 
     
     ing the boncsinto small pieces, and the other 
     
     to grinding them into powder. This is also a 
     
     very permanent manure, asthe bones are com. 
     
      ofalarge portion oflime ; and on account 
     
     ‘thh animal matter they are suitable for all 
     
     this of vegetables containing any considera- 
     
     ble portion ofgluten, such as wheat and other 
     
     grain, beans, peas, and a variety of othe rs. 
     
    

    
     flm. Farmer. 
     
    
   
   
    
     0n the Wages of using Cow-wash in the 
     
     growth of vegetables. 
     
    
   
   
    
     By Mr. Wilson, Creswell Hall, Stafl'ordshire. 
     
    

    
     Some of the readers of the Register may not 
     
     altogether , ' of the benefits to be de- 
     
     rivedfvdn ‘ ,dfcow-wash in the growth 
     
     . enarket Gardeners in the 
     
     violaityofhw, use it in great quantities, 
     
    

    
      
     
    
   
   
    
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     ~tlle prizes, I 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     THE BRITISH AMERICAN 
     
    
   
   
    
     which the procure from cow feeders in the 
     
     city, at the rate of four pence per barrel, ( a 
     
     common herring barrel) and I can from obser- 
     
     vation vouch for its eflicacy. Cauliflower, cab- 
     
     bage, brocoli, celery, and asparagus thrive 
     
     amazingly with it, and Ihave applied it my- 
     
     selfto gooseberries, currants, raspberries, 8m. 
     
     with excellent effect. They apply it after 
     
     this manner; alittle earth is drawn round the 
     
     stem of the plant or tree in the form ofa basin 
     
     into which the liquid is poured. If it be dry 
     
     hot weather,this is done in the evening, but 
     
     ifthe weather be moist it may be done at any 
     
     time. When this has been performed two or 
     
     three times, the plants are earthed up, 
     
     and receive no more of it. They apply it to 
     
     their asparagus beds at an time from the 
     
     beginning of March to the beginning of April. 
     
     Their celery is planted on ridges five feet 
     
     wide, in rows across the ridge, at twelve inches 
     
     from row to row. Before planting they flood 
     
     the ridge with the wash, having previously dug 
     
     the bed with a little manure. Nothing answers 
     
     better than this wash tor turnips. [ have seen 
     
     most excellent crops when no other manure 
     
     was used. The ground for this purpose was well 
     
     soaked with itdnring winter. To try the ex- 
     
     periment I dug a plotofground without giving 
     
     it any manure; one lialfof this 1 watered with 
     
     the sh previous to sowing, and the other 
     
     half ‘ sown without: the difference was 
     
     ver , t; the part watered bore turnips 
     
     of a fine clear skin and color, and at least a 
     
     third larger then the unwatered land. Any of 
     
     your readers who wish to excel in growing ve- 
     
     getables, may stir tip a small quantity ofcow- 
     
     dung with the wash, and ifapplied when the 
     
     p'autsarein a growing state,lhcsitatc iiotto say 
     
     it willanswer theirhighest expectations: this] 
     
     speak from experience, as cauliflowcrs.cab- 
     
     bages, and gooseberries, which have obtained 
     
     ' e watered with my own hands 
     
     i am satisfiet , if farmers in this country were 
     
     to have a barrel sunk in one corner of their 
     
     cow-houses, and the wash drained into it, 
     
     and with a water-potor other-means, apply it 
     
     to their land in moist weather, they would 
     
     find their labor would not be lost. 
     
    

    
     Ga rdener’s .Matr. 
     
    
   
   
    
     OF CURING PORK AND BACON. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The carcase is cut into pieces, and packed 
     
     in casks or kits, made for the purpose, con- 
     
     taining from one to two hundred weight. Salt 
     
     is dissolved in water till the mixture be strong 
     
     enough to swim an egg; it is then boiled. and 
     
     when eold, poured upon the pork: when the 
     
     the end of the cask is fixed in. the article is 
     
     ready for being sent to market. Henderson, 
     
     a late writer, has given particular directions 
     
     for curing bacon, founded upon a long Course 
     
     of experience, which therefore deserves to be 
     
     more generally known. 
     
    

    
     The curing of bacon is thus described by Hen- 
     
     derson, after much experience. After the car- 
     
     case has hung all night; lay it upon a strong 
     
     table, or bench, upon its back, cutoff the 
     
     head close to the ears, and cut the hinder feet 
     
     so far below the hough as will not disfignre the 
     
     hams, and leave plenty of room to hang them 
     
     by; then take a cleaving knife, and if necessary 
     
     a hand mallet, and divide the carcase tip the 
     
     middle of the back bone, laying it in two 
     
     equal halves: then cut the ham from the side 
     
     by the second Joint of the back bone, which 
     
     will appear on dividing the carcase, then 
     
     dress the ham by paring a little off the flank 
     
     or skinny part, so as to shape it with a half 
     
     round point, clearing ofl'any top fat that may 
     
     appear, the curer will next take ofl'the sharp 
     
     edge along the back bone with his knife and 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Ste. 19. 
     
    
   
   
    
     mallet, and slice ofl the first rib next the shoul. 
     
     der, where he will perceive a bloody vein, 
     
     which he must take out, for ifit is left in, that 
     
     part is apt to spoil. ’I‘he corners must b. 
     
     squared off where the ham was cut out. 
     
    

    
     In killinga number of swine what sides you 
     
     may have dressed the first day, lay upon some 
     
     flags or boards, piling them across each other, 
     
     and giving each pitch a powdering ofsaltpetre, 
     
     then covering it with salt: proceed in the same 
     
     manner with the hams, by themselves, and do 
     
     not omit giving them a little saltpetre, as it 
     
     opens the pores ofthe flesh to receive the salt, 
     
     and besides gives the ham a pleasant flavor, 
     
     and makesit more juicy. Let them lie in this 
     
     state about a week, then turn those on top un. 
     
     dermost, giving them a fresh salting ; after lying 
     
     two or three weeks longer they may be hung 
     
     up to dry in some chimney, or smoke honse;or, 
     
     if the curer chooses. he may turn them over 
     
     again without giving them any salt, in which 
     
     state they may lie for a month or U170 without 
     
     catching any harm, until he has a chnvenience 
     
     for drying them. Henderson practiced for 
     
     many years thecustom of carting his flitches 
     
     and hams through the country to farm houses, 
     
     and used to hang them in their chimneys, and 
     
     other parts ofthe house to dry, some seasons 
     
     to the amount of five hundred carcases; this 
     
     plan he soon found attended with a number of 
     
     inconveniences and therefore he invented a 
     
     smoking house. 
     
    

    
     Henderson‘s smoking house is about twelve 
     
     feet square. and the walls about seven feet high; 
     
     one of these huts requires six joists across, one 
     
     close to each wall, the other four laid asunder, 
     
     at propcr distances. To receive five rows of 
     
     flitches, they must be laid on the top of the 
     
     wall, a piece of wood strong enough to bear 
     
     the weight of one flitcb ot bacon, must be fixed 
     
     across the belly end ofthe flitch, by two strings, 
     
     as the neck end must hang downwards; the 
     
     piece of wood must be longer than the flitch is 
     
     wide, sothat each end may rest upon a beam; 
     
     they may be put so near each other as not to 
     
     touch, the width of it will hold twenty-four 
     
     flitehes in a row, and there will be five rows, 
     
     which will contain one hundred and twenty 
     
     flitches; as many hams may be hung at 
     
     the same time above the flitcbes, eon- 
     
     trived in the best manner we can. The 
     
     lower end of the flitehes will be within two and 
     
     a halfor three feet ofthe floor, which must be 
     
     covered five or six inches thick with saw 
     
     dust,and must be kindled at two different sides: 
     
     it will burn, but not cause any flame to injure 
     
     the bacon. The door must be kept close, and 
     
     the but must have asmall hole in the roof, so 
     
     that part of the smoke may ascend. That lot 
     
     of bacon and hams will be ready to pack up 
     
     in a hogshead to send ofl‘in eight or ten dayl 
     
     ora little longer if required. with very little 
     
     loss of weight. After the bacon is salted, it 
     
     mav lie in the salthonse as described until an 
     
     order is received, then immediately hang it up 
     
     to dry. Henderson found this smoke house to 
     
     be a great saving, not only in the expense and 
     
     trouble of employing men to cart and hang 
     
     it up through the country, but it did not low 
     
     near so much weight by this process. 
     
    

    
     Loudon’s Ency. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
        
     
        
     
            
     
         
     
        
     
        
     
         
     
          
     
          
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     LICE IN CATTLE. 
     
    
   
   
    
     A storng decoction of tobacco washed are? 
     
     a beast infested with vermin will generally 
     
     drive them away ; it sometimes makes the beast 
     
     very sick a short time. 
     
    

    
     But a better way is to mix plenty of stroll! 
     
     Scotch snuff in train oil, and rub the back sud 
     
     neck of the creature with it, which will effect- 
     
     ually kill or drive away all vermin from aqfli' 
     
     draped.