Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 May 1911 — Farm and Garden [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Farm and Garden

FIREPROOF SMOKEHOUSE Combined With Storeroom, but the Latter Omitted. The Country Gentleman, from which these cuts and this article are reproduced, gives the following directions for the erection of a fireproof smokehouse and storeroom combined which has given satisfaction: The building Is divided into two sections. That facing the dwelling and situated at the right end in the diagram given herewith, being incased in stone walls and closed with dark shutters 'When desired, answers a useful purpose for keeping fruit, fresh meat and provisions generally. The left hand half of the building is occupied with the smokehouse. The diagram shows of the different parts. The ash pit, surrounded by stone walls and a layer of stone beneath, laid in water lime mortar and securely coated with the same, keeps the ashes dry, and no water can enter. The ash pit is entered by an iron door. Over it is a brick arch containing several holes the size of a half brick, through which the smoke passes into the smoke apartment above, which is

entered by the outside door on the left end of the building by the assistance of a stepladder. This smoke room is 6by 10 feet in the clear. The ventilating window at the end and the ventilating chimney at the top are both opened when the hams are smoking and closely shut when the operation is completed. The top of the arch forms the floor of the smokq room. A large number of hams may be placed in this room by the following arrangement: Pieces of hardwood plank eight inches wide and long enough to reach across the room rest on a ledge or projection from the walls on each side. These pieces of plank have hooks driven in on both edges far enough apart to receive the hams, so that a row may be hung on each side. When full each is pushed along to one side and another filled, and so on till all are in their places. The ventilators above are then opened, and smoke is started on the heap of ashes below. For this purpose cobs are used or unseasoned maple or body hickory. The smoking should be slow. By the

time the smoke has passed up through the openings in the arch it has become cold and cannot heat the hams. Ten or twelve days will usually be enough for the completion of tha operation, when the ventilators at the end and in the chimney above are closely shut The hams, being now kept perfectly dark and thoroughly excluded from the air outside, will keep in good condition. Flies will do no injury through the summer with a small fire started once a month and with the upper ventilator partly open at the time. This obviates the common and troublesome task of incasing the hams in muslin, whitewashing them or packing them in oats or ashes. It is obvious that the apartment used as a storeroom may be omitted and the smokehouse built alone. Double brick, hollow walls might be even better than stone. The rafters should be ten inches wide, strongly lathed, plastered and filled with sawdust to keep the room cool.

Shropshires Good For Mutton. More Shropshires are fed and marketed in England than any other two breeds. In this country there are over 4,000 breeders on the membership roll and more than 328,000 animals recorded. The reason the breed is popular is because these sheep give better returns for money invested than any other of the mutton breeds. .■ 1 - : Early Variety of Corn. Indian Squaw corn is greatly relished by stock in. some localities. It is an early variety and may be planted for forage. It is said to mature in eighty. five .days under favorable conditions It makes a Air ear when allowed to mature.

Farmers are entitled to use about a third of the country’s credit. Whatever amount of credit they use for intelligent road improvement will prove a good investment. - Saturday Evening Post.

FIREPROOF SMOKEHOUSE

DIAGRAM OP SMOKEHOUSE.