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INQUIRIES ANSWERED
Many Letters Replied By The
Agricultural Dep’t.
FORMULAS FOR MAKING COMPOST
Paper Reafi Before Meeting of Agricul¬
tural Commissioners in Regard to
the "Smithfield Virginia Ham.”
Wheat Growing Profitable.
Question—“Hen. O. ft Stevens, At¬
lanta, Ga.—Dear Sir: Can yoa give
me a good formula Sor composting
with Stable and cow lot manure?”
In reply to the abeve we beg here¬
with to submit formulas for making
compost, which have been .prepared by
the State Chemist, John M. McCand
fca the first plat* take 109 pounds
of quick lime and slake it with 150
pounds of ks-isilt (dissolved in hot wa
Ur. Be sure 3» so proportion the
amount of waiter used as to slake
ithe lime to> a powder, and not have
sa wet, sticky mass. If you use too
much water you will have a sticky
mass and not at powder which can he
•aally haadlefi.
YoUrlime ehou’.H 'he slaked by a Sto*.
solution of kaintttoa powder, which kt
just damg) >enough » handle comlccte
ably. 'Too have new an excellent and
perfect mtKture «ff the lime with the
sulphate *f potash and chloride of :se
dium of rite kainit The work sluMhti
be done mt a pdfeit convenient ‘-and
close to where the compost pile .is 4o
be made.
The materials .you will neaMfi ito msflse
a ton of 'compokt according to my ctor
mlua than are at follows;
Pormuta-No.il:
100 pounds qutdk lime,
160 pounds of kainit,
250 pounds. 1,4 per cent, aeffi phOBfilmte,
200 pounds of cotton seed meal,
1,200 pounds'of stable manure.
Formula;No. ’dt
100 pounds Of quick lime, r
150 psundsiof ikafiiit,
250 ptninds 14 per cent, arte phosphate,
400 pounds, of green cotton seed,
1,000'.pounds *-f stable tnancre.
Yon wilkobver.ve that boQa 'theselor.
mulas sudd up 1,900 pounds, but :ts a
matter-of:fact, they will add up 4,000
pounds orr more after tte lime has
been slaked with the hat .solution of
kaintt, because the lime will absorb
and thoid a large amonnt of water in
a fixed condition.
Provide a place under shell'd' for
making the'ie>m post, as you cannot af¬
ford to have the rains Teach suck a
valuable compost after it iis made.
.JVlethDd of Cornposttng.
First, put down a lay* of stable
manure well chopped ,antr Tree from
lumps, about three incites thick,
sprinkle over this a layer <if cotton
seed meal,.say one-eigthdo ose-quarler
of an inch thick, the* moisten with
•water until manure and meal are well
dampened; then sprikle on a layer ••of
the fLaked hme and kainit mixture,
using your judgment as to The thidk
ness serf the layer, so as do make your
materials come out about even. On
top of the potash sprinkle a layer of
the at3d phosphate. Ctu top of tibia
again -pu ta layer of stable manure,
say, about two inches thsck, Them cot¬
ton. seed meal as before. Again moist¬
ening Hie layer of cotton seed meal
and manure uniil damp, then as before
a layer »f potash lime followed try acid
phosphate. Cotinue in this way until
the materials are all exhausted and
top aTl over with stable manure or rich
woods earth, say two inches thick. Al¬
low It to stand until thorough fermen¬
tation takes place, which should be
from one to two months, according to
the temperature, moisture, etc.
The formula far the use of green cot¬
ton seed should be put up in precisely
the same way, except, of course, the
, layer of cotton seed will be thicker
than the layer Of meal. When the
(Cotton seed have ’been killed thorough¬
ly, cut down vertically with a sharp
hoe, mattock or spade through the lay¬
ers, shaving oil a thin slice at the time.
Pulverize and shovel into a heap and,
and allow the fermentation to go on
again for about ten days, when the
compost ought to be ready for use. Ap.
ply liberally at the rate of four or
five hundred pounds per acre. Such
a compost as this, made either with
cotton seed or cotton seed meal, ought
to analyze about—
2.25 per cent, available phosphoricacid.
1.10 per cent ammonia,
1.25 per cent potash,
but its results will beat its analysis.
JOHN M. McCANDLESS,
State Chemist.
Recently the following letter was
eceived:
‘Hon, O. B. Stevens,
Atlanta, Ga.,
Dear Sir: I am a
orthwestern farmer and wish to know !
w the .crops of Georgia compare ™
i
in yield to those of our section.
(Signed) “X. Y.Z.”
W© can find no better answer to this !
inquiry than the testimony of Mr. Geo.:
Dillon, once of Maine, then of Iowa, '
but now a citizen of Georgia, and the j
proprietor of a large dairy farm near I
Macon, our beautiful “Central City." j
This testimnoy was given in an inter¬
view for the Atlanta Journal. Says
Mr. Dillon; .
“My salary at the timu I left the
North was $3,600 per annm. My health
, broke , down and , I , advised . . to wane
was „„„!
to Middle Georgia. I t came here k„.-. and
bought what is called the poorest
sandy land. i have been here 17
years, and have never had to take a
dose of medicine, and 1 have cot been
ill a minute. I would not go back
to Iowa if you would give me the
whole state. I have got too much
sense now to ever try to stand those
awful winters.”
■“ 'How- does your poot land yield in
'Comparison with the Iowa land?’
“I can make twice as much on it
as I could make^on an acre of Iowa
land.”
“What sort eof crops do you make
onthe Georgia soil?’
“I have made 40 bustle's of wheat
and 100 bushels of corn on the same
acre in the .same year. You will see
1 the fact is demonstrated every day
that Georgia land needs manure. It
needs to have animals raised cas it.
The Iowa -land ts ‘rich enougn, but it
has no saeh seasons to help It make
crops. When 1 came here and looked
around, I Sound dairy farmers wasting
their manure. They seemed to make
a good Bring in spite of such extrava¬
gant waste. *Idaiermined that Leonid
make money with my ideas, it they
could sustain themselves.’”
GA DEPT.lWF AGRICULTURE.
Colonel-J. B. Jiillebrew, in ifchiSouth
•rn Farm Magazine, says:
“Wheat-growing could be mate very
profitable wherever cotton is produced,
and that harvest would interfere- very
little wdth the (cultivation and (gather¬
ing of the cotton crop. When the
cottonarowiog States become iudepen.
dent ix. their meat and bread;>supplies,
they will become the most jrmsperous
States in the<*American Union.’
God speed JEhe day!
GA. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE.
Hon. «© .13..Stevens, Com.
City.
Dear Sir: Can
you fabli me why the ham knewn as
the “Smithfield Virginia Hum," Is now
bringing from .26 to 30 cents pm- pound
in the .market, while the average Geor¬
gia country ham brings uni from
15 to S6 cent* per pound? 'Can you
give mb any good reasons lortte great
difference?
Youia very truly, ,
A. B. C.
I can ‘best answer your inquiry by
submitting herewith a paper delivered
before the eemmissioners of agricul¬
ture at Naslwilie, Tenn., August 26th,
1902, by Professor E. W. Magruder,
from th® Department of Agriculture of
Virginia.:
“Virginia tots long been noted for its
fine bacon, especially its ha mss, and
the fam» of .its Smithfield hams is
world-wide.
Over one hundred years ago around
Smithfield in (Southeast Virginia Mr.
Tood began to»eure the hams from the
semi-wild hogs.xaised largely in the ex¬
tensive fortists in that section. The
fame of, the hams spread rapidly, and
they now stand.almost without a-rival.
Through the whole State excellent
bacon and hams are produced,.and
though no section enjoys the reputa¬
tion of the Smithfield region, yet there
are a number of individuals all through
.the State who produce hams which -are
excellent and bring fine prices, and If
is doubtful whether they could be told
from those produced about Smithfield
There is a popular idea amongst many
that! the quality of to. ham depends en¬
tirely upon the way it is cured. This
is a very erroneous Idea, as the curing
is only one point, though an important
one, in the production of a first-class
ham.
The points claimed as necessary to
produce the Smithfield hams are: First,
the kind of hogs. The genuine “ra.
zor-back” is the kind raised, and they
claim that no other wiD do. Second,
the manner of feeling. The hogs are
allowed to run in the woods, pastures,
and to glean peanut and sweet potato
fields, in a semi-wild condition, and the
final fattening done with corn and
pure water. Third, the slaughtering
and cutting out. The hogs are care¬
fully killed, care being taken not to
bruise them, and to bleed them well.
When cold, they are cut out, much care
being taken to shape the hams prop
erly. Fourth, the curing. This method
I will give later.
The production of good hams is di¬
vided into three steps, which I will dis¬
cuss in their natural order.
1.. Raising the hogs.
2. Butchering the hogs.
3. Curing the hams.
1. Raising the Hogs.—This Is the
- -
* lmportant , .... ofthe thre e 6te , P 8 Tht r „,
'
method of raising hogs throughout Vir.
giana, though differing with individuals
and sections, is in the essential feat¬
ures the same. The hogs are general¬
ly Berkshire, Poland-China, a cross of
these breeds on each other or on the
comenqn nondescript hogs of the State.
Pure-blooded hogs- are being more and
more raised, and with increasing sat¬
isfaction. The claim of the Smith
field region that only the “razor-back”
make the finest hams is not borne
out by the experience of the farmers
in the rest of the State, ’ as they find
.. thoroughbred .. .. . makes . *s good , . hams
as the scrub.
The sows pig almost any time of the
year, b ( ut generally in the spring and
fall. The pigs are fed what slops
and milk there Is to spare, and some¬
times bran or mill-feed, and as they
grow older corn is given. The hogs
areallowed to run in the pasture field
a*d the woods, to glean the wheat and
oat fields, and In the eastern part of
the State the potato and peanut fields.
They are rarely ever raised in pens.
By thus running out they will make
their own living to a large extent, and
get a large variety of food, as berries,
acorns, chestnuts, etc., which impart
a fine flavor to the meat, and together
with the exercise necessary to its col¬
lection, keeps the hogs healthy and
produces a large amount of lean meat.
About the first of September corn is
fed more liberally, generally giving
stalk and all.; later the ears only are
given, which is continued up to the
time of killlKg, and as much given as
the hogs will eat clean. For the best
meat the hog should not be too fat,
as very thick fat is objectionable, espe¬
cially on the hams. Nor are very large
hogs especially desirable or economic
cal. A teg weighing 150 pounds is
the best and most economical, and pro¬
duces the rnicest size hams.
The age (Of the hogs when killed va¬
ries from 7 to 8 months, and they
weigh wflwm butchered from 125 to 300
pounds, (the majority being about
twelve-months old and weighing about
175 pounds.
2. The Butchering.—This is a very
important point, and should only be
done when the weather is cold and
frosty, vutnich in Virginia is anywhere
from the first to the twentieth of De¬
cember. The hogs are carefully
cleaned sand allowed to hang op gen¬
erally toll night, to allow them ts> ^thor
oughjy -drain and cool. They arc then
cut out. care being taken to make
the hams as symmetrical as possible.
The inures are bow ready for curing.
2. The dry method is the one almost
universally used. Out of a great n-um
her of .recipes, which, however, differ
in minor details, I will give only one.
The Siriithflel-d hams are cured as
follows:
After carefully cutting out the hams
so as to make them as symmetrical
and smo.th as possible, rub the fleshy
surface .thoroughly with fine saltpetre,
using ,1 tablespoonful to a 14-ponnd
ham, .and vary .the amount to suit
the size of the ham. Then, pack away
from .three to five hours with flesh
aide up, .in order to give the saltpetre
time .to .^strike oin. Then take up
and rub .well with gait, cover well the
Entire .surface and pack away, using
plenty -of-salt. In packing be -careful
to place ithe ham on edge with the
thin or fianky edge down, by which
means the hams will assume a plump
and symmetrical shape, and be very
pleasing to the eye. This Is an impor¬
tant point. Never lay them flat or
put them at the bottom of the Bulk, as
the weight of the meat above will
flatten them ou and spoil heir shape.
The plum pm, t Berkshire ham -can be
spoiled in dhape by improper pack¬
ing. They .should remain packed in
plenty -of sdK six weeks, when they
are taken up, well washed, and when
nearly dry about 1 teaspoonful of tanrax
sprinkled over the fleshy surface from
a large pepper box. Enough borax
should be usetl to make the ham ap¬
pear wei! frosted. They are then hung
up by the hock- care being taken not
to allow any two pieces to touch, for
i£ so, they are liable to become infest¬
ed with skippem They are smoked
lightly for several weeks with hickory.
When about nine months old they are
ready for the taWe, and when about
-two years old they are food fit for the
gods. Hams thus cured sell for from
16 to 20 cents per pound, and are in
demand. I have recently seen a gen
Ueman who for years has sold all of
his hams at fine prices, and- who this
year has more orders than he can sup
pjly at 25 cents per pound. This same
gentleman is selling his shoulders and
middlings for ll'to 14 cents per pound.
The two prime requisites in produc¬
ing first-class hams are first, a healthy
hog; second, sound meat. If you have
these you need have no fear as to the
quality of the meat.
1. To secure the healthy hog, give
them plenty .of range with as great a
variety ef food as possible and plenty
of good, clean water. The Smithfield
hogs are allowed to run at large most
of the year. If there are woods to
supplement the pasture, so much the
better. The hogs thus obtain a va
rlety of f-xxi, as nuts, berries, roots,
grubs and eeas-good muscle-makers.
In hunting over the large range they
take sufficient exercise to keep them
healthy and develop the muscular tis¬
sue, that is, the lean meat, but as the
work is not hard the muscles enlarge
without becoming tough and stringy.
Allow them a good range up until the
time of killing. I would strongly ad¬
vise against penning until a few days
before killing. They fatten as well
when left in the field, and keep
healthy. As they fatten they travel
less, but this exercise aids materially
in the production of lean meat instead
of fat, as is the tendency when penned,
as Illustrated by the Western meat.
To have the best meat, and that which
brings the best price, and which has
the best flavor, and with the fat and
lean proporely distributed and propor¬
tioned, the hogs must have plenty of
exercise and be killed before they are
too fat There is no ecoonmy In hav¬
ing them too fat, and th% meat Is not
so good.
2. The sound ham. In order to have
sound meat, kill only in cold, frosty
weather, after November 1 is best. Al¬
low the hogs to hang up all night to
drain and cool; they cut out much
nicer and keep better if they are stiff
when cut out. Then cure by the dry
method given above, using plenty of
salt, and there will be no doubt as to
the result.
It is not advisable to use condiments
in curing ill order to add flavor. In
my opinion the object in curing should
be to preserve the ham, keep it sound
and let it retain all of its natural taste
and flavor, and not to try to add flavor
and taste. The natural ones, when
present in their purity, are good
enuogh. without trying to add to them
artificially.
From the foregoing it is readily seen
that It is no difficult matter to pro¬
duce fine Virginia hams. It is also
readily seen that every State in the
South is adm-lrkbly adapted to the pro.
ductian of first-class hams and bacon.
In fact, she should easily raise twice,
as many hogs, and with a very little
ifcronible three or more times as many.
And instead of twenty-million hogs she
should produce forty million; sixty
million or more hogs. The large amount
of waste land, old field, woods and so
■on, could be used to great advantage
ih raising hogs, and from the large
wnriety of food thus obtainable finely
.flavored meat would be produced, and
‘every county in the South Is capable
■of producing an abundance of corn
sfco fatten these hogs. With the mild
winters we have the hogs could make
kheiir own living for the majority of the
.year, and they would only need to be
fed a small amount except for fat¬
tening.
By following the methods I have in
■while at first he could not get the
best prices, for it takes time to build
•np a reputation and a trade, yet he
■could certainly get betetr prices, and
in time the best prices, and he would
also have the satisfaction of having
the very best hams for his own table,”
State Agricultural Department.
Beware Of Counterfeits.
“DeWifct’s }H the only genuine Witch
Hazel Salve” writes J. L. Tucker, of
Genre, Ala. “I have used it in my fam¬
ily for Piles, Outs and Burns far years
and can recommend it to be the best
Salve on the market Every family
should keep it, as it is an invaluable
household remedy, and should always
be kept oil hand for immediate use.”
Mrs, Samuel Gage, of North Bush, N.
I, says: “I liad a feversora on my an¬
kle for twenty years that, the doctors
oejuJd not cure - All salves and blood
remedies proved worthless. I could not
walk for over two years. Finally I was
persuaded to try DeWitt’s Witch Hazel
Salvo, which has completely cured me.
It is a wonderful relief.” DeWitt’s
Witch Hazel Salve cures without leav¬
ing a sear. Sold by Lewis Drug Co.
Subscribe for the Enterprise-
COTTON GROWERS TO MEET.
Jordan Calls Convention in
January at New Orleans.
President Harvie Jordan makes the
announcement that the Southern Cot¬
ton Growers’ meeting in New Orleans,
Jan. 24, 25 and 26, is for the purpose
of organizing and consolidating south¬
ern agricultural associations into - a
central body with a bureau of infor¬
mation on the lines of the United
States department of agriculture. It
is not intended to discredit the gov¬
ernment. bureau but to supplement its
information.
“We propose to know as much about
the business of the spinners as they do
about ours,” said Mr. Jordan. “Aa
it is now, they know everything about
us, and we are in the dark. Among
other things, it Is our object to bring
about closer relations 1 between the
manufacturer and producer, that the
price may be fixed by the laws of sup¬
ply and demand, and not by the specu.
lator.”
Catarrh Cannot Be Cured
with LOCAL APPLICATIONS, ns they
cannot reach the seat of the disease. Ca- •
tarrh is a blood or constitutional disease,
and in order to cure it you must take in¬
ternal remedies. Hall’s Catarrh Cure is
taken internally, and acts directly on the
blood and mucous surfaces. Hall’s Ca¬
tarrh Cure is not a quack medicine, it
was prescribed by one of the best physi¬
cians in this country for years and is a
regular prescription. It is composed of
the tonics known, combined with the
best blood purifiers, acting directly on
the mucous surfaces. The perfect com¬
bination of the two ingredients is what
produces such wonderful results in cur¬
ing Catarrh. Send for testimonials free.
F. J. Cheney, Props., Toledo, O.
Sold by Druggists, 75c.
pation. Take Hall’s Family Pills for consti¬
Some ot Mr. Roosevelt's friends
came to us last week and said
that it was a mean trick in him
to keep the price of cotton up un¬
til after his re-election and then
put it down suddenly. We
thought so, too, but begged ’em
to wait another week, and |they
did, but the price continues to ga
down and those voters are mad.
They will not vote for Rooty_any
more.—Douglas Breeze.
THE SECRETOF SUCCESS.
Forty million bottles of August Flow¬
er sold in the United States alone since
its introduction! And the demand fori
it is still growing. Isn’t that a fine/
showing of success? Don’t it prove
that August flower lias had unfailing
success in the cure of indigestion and
dyspepsia—the two greatest enemies of
health and happiness? Does it not af¬
ford the best evidence that August Flow¬
er is a sure specific for all stomach and
intestinal disorders?—that it lias proved
itself the best of all liver regulators?'
August Flower lias a matchless record!
of over thirty-five years in curing the
ailing millions of these distressing com¬
plaints—a success that is becoming wid¬
er in its seppe every day, at home and
abroad, as the fame of 'August Flower
spreads. Trial bottles, 25c; regular size,
7oc. For sale by all druggists.
There will be no worry about
disposing of any treasury surplus
during the coming term of Im
perator Roosevelt. Panamagraft,
alone, would be able to take in
double the amount of any possi¬
ble surplus, to say nothing of the
growing and overliving millions
who “died for their country” in
the Sixties.- Sparta Ishmaelite.
Stanley’s Business College.
Macon, : Georgia.
Success is yours if you. attend a good business college. We will qaalify
you and Secure yon a position?. Write for catalogue.
G. W. II. Stanley, President.
I Notice! ...THE...
A amilla Pressing Club,
FIRST-CLASS WORK
V^_Your Pafronage Solicited by i
A. W. WILLIAMS, Practica Repairer, *
Cleaning, Dyeing and Pressing ^
Gent’s clothing of all kinds. jyW |\ll I dye any goods any color, ecial ser¬
(n«^WA/A»Ai/AritoA/ Ladies’ clothing a specialty. / W<WAriW'W'WAiriWAriV« vice 1 All to all Work commercial done AfAvAriWenriW# under travelers, Guarantee •i