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>>>History and info on building a smoke house and curing meat, history of life in early Delaware.<<<

Granny, the Dickinson Mansion is about 20 miles from here. Have been there several times. Also, we have an Agricultural Museum about 18 miles away... They don’t do much in a very practical historical way though. Right now, there is controversy over a Muslim group that is holding meetings there - but let a Christian group try to get the same rooms for a meeting and it gets nixed...

We used to smoke some meats in our smokehouse (now long gone) We quit doing it when someone stole all our hams and bacon sides we had a second year in a row.

As I recollect, it was more an art than a science in the old smokehouses. Done wrong, you had rancid or putrid meat that was horrible. Done correctly you had some of the best tasting meat you can imagine. I would opt for the more controlled modern smokers that do a very good reliable job of preserving the meat. The problem there is that to have one large enough to do a whole hog is expensive.

Salting was big around here with Mackerel and fatback being common. Most stores used to have a keg of salt Mackerel that they sold from. Others carried it in small wooden boxes that were used for storing small items - I remember one filled with buttons and hooks for sewing (worn out clothes were stripped of those before the fabric was reused for rugs, stuffing, re-spinning or other uses - nothing got wasted). It was usually big for breakfast around here. Creamed salt mackerel on toast was a favorite of mine.

Few people know that this little State has been a mainstay in agriculture for a couple of centuries.

Did you know that Delaware was ‘The Peach State’ before Georgia was? There were huge dehydrators around here and the peach halves were dried and packed in barrels for shipment to the ‘city’ which meant Philadelphia or Baltimore. I have searched for traces of the dehydrators, and since they were all wood, they are long gone. They also made smoked peaches as a specialty. I have never tasted them though.

One of my Great Grandfathers had a cannery/packing house in Choptank Maryland (On the Choptank River - which empties into the Chesapeake Bay). The cannery had a railroad siding that went right out on the dock where the plant was.

Actually, that is what caused his death... One foggy morning as he was driving his horse and carriage to the plant, the locomotive was moving railcars and blew their whistle - The horse was already spooked by the fog, and the whistle frightened him and he reared up and came back onto the carriage.

Steam ships could also dock on the other side. They fresh packed in crates and baskets during the season, and canned the surplus. Shipments to Philadelphia went out by rail, and Annapolis and Baltimore’s went out by steamship.

Granny, you might be interested to know that he was a State Senator and repeatedly introduced Woman’s Suffrage legislation in Maryland until he finally got it passed.

THE TWELVE SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC And Their Relationship to the Body
In order to use these signs, you need an almanac for the current year.
The date in the almanac will tell you the phase of the moon and the zodiac sign for that particular day. Then look at the drawing in the almanac of the twelve signs of the zodiac and their relation to the body to see what that sign means. Here are the signs and their meanings.

The Zodiac Signs

LEGS - Aquarius - Waterman January 20 to February 19 Moon in Aquarius. Waterman,
Legs—Dry and Barren; Air, Masculine Good sign for cultivating and killing weeds, pests, etc. Good sign to harvest fruit and root crops. Seeds planted in Aquarius dont germinate well and are likely to rot. Air sign ruled by Uranus. Cut hair to stimulate growth. Fair for hunting.

FEET - Pisces - Fishes February 19 to March 20 Moon in Pisces Fish, Feet—Moist and Fruitful; Water, Feminine One of the best signs for planting, transplanting, propagating, etc. Seeds produce strong root growth, drought resistance, deep root penetration, short top growth, and a healthy, plentiful fruit crop. Water sign ruled by Neptune. Good sign for weaning and quitting habits. Best sign for pruning and planting trees and shrubs. Also for pulling teeth, cutting hair, and fishing. Animals born now make good breeding stock.

HEAD AND FACE - Aries - Ram March 20 to April 20 Moon in Aries. Ram, Head—Dry and Barren; Fire, Masculine Used for destroying weeds, pests, etc. Good sign for plowing, tilling, and cultivating. Plants from seeds germinated in Aries are bitter tasting and quick to bolt. they also mature faster, producing vines or stalks. Fire sign ruled by Mars. Aries is a good sign for planting beets, onions, tobacco. Its is also a good sign for hunting and fair for fishing. It is a good time to get hair perms., make jelly and pickles, baking and cooking, painting and welding.

NECK - Taurus - Bull April 20 to May 21 Moon in Taurus. Bull, Neck—Moist and productive; Earth, Feminine #1 sign for planting root crops. Also good for planting all crops and transplanting. Seeds planted in Taurus produce hardy plants with excellent roots, short internodal length, sturdiness, and withstand drought. Earth sign ruled by Mercury and Earth. Very good sigh for hunting and fishing; and also for canning and pickling, especially in the last quarter of the moon.

ARMS - Gemini - Twins May 21 to June 21 Moon in Gemini. Twins, Arms—Dry and Barren; Air, Masculine Used for destroying weeds, pests, etc. Good sign for plowing, tilling, and cultivating. Planting in Gemini results in long, stringy, weak plants. Mow grass to retard growth. Air sign ruled by Mercury.

BREAST - Cancer - Crab June 21 to July 23 Moon in Cancer . Crab, Breast—Very Moist and Fruitful; Water, Feminine The most productive sign. #1 sign for planting, transplanting budding, grafting, dividing, starting cuttings, all propagation. Good for watering. Seeds planted in Cancer germinate quickly. Plants propagated in cancer are the hardiest, best growing, and withstand drought. Cardinal Water sign ruled by the Moon. It is also a good sign to set eggs for hatching and animals born or hatched in Cancer make good breeding stock. Good sign for cooking and fishing. Cut hair in cancer to stimulate growth.

HEART - Leo - Lion July 23 to August 23 Moon in Leo. Lion, Heart—Dry and Barren; Fire, Masculine The most barren sign. Plow, till, cultivate, kill weeds and pests, destroy trees, bushes, and roots. Also good for harvesting fruit and root crops.”If weeds, briars and bushes are cut off in the fourth quarterof the moon in August when its place is in Leo, they will be more certainly destroyed than at any other time.” Mow grass to retard growth. Dont plant or transplant anything. Fire sign ruled by the Sun. It is a good sign for hunting, baking, getting hair perms, and painting.

BOWELS - Virgo - Virgin August 23 to September 23 Moon in Virgo Virgin, Bowels—Moist and Barren; Earth, Feminine Barren sign good for cultivating and killing weeds and pests Not good for planting or transplanting nothing. Earth sign ruled by Mercury.

REINS - Libra - Balance September 23 to October 23 Moon in Libra. . Scales, Kidneys—Moist and Semi-fruitful; Air, Masculine Good sign for planting crops that bear above the ground. Very good for vines and flowers. Seeds planted in Libra produce strong pulp and root growth. The best sign for planting flowers. Air sign ruled by Venus. Good sign to cut hair to stimulate growth.

SECRETS - Scorpio - Scorpion October 23 to November 22 Moon in Scorpio Scorpion, Loins—Moist and Fruitful; Water, Feminine The second best sign for planting, transplanting, all propagation. Good sign to water in. Seeds planted in Scorpio produce good vine growth, sturdiness, good fruit set, winter hardiness, and drought and cold resistance. Good sign for planting fruit trees. Water sign ruled by Mars. Good sign for hunting and fishing. Also good to set eggs for hatching and animals born in scorpio make good breeding stock.

THIGHS - Sagittarius - Archer November 22 to December 22 Moon in Sagittarius. Archer, Thighs—Dry and Barren; Fire Masculine Not a good sign to plant or transplant in. Good sign for cultivating and harvesting. Fruit picked in Sagittarius keeps good. Fire sign ruled by Jupiter. Cucumbers, garlic, onions, potatos, radishes, and maple and oak trees can be planted. Good sign to wean children and animals. Quit habits on the second day of Sagittarius. this works! Cut hair to stimulate growth. Good for perms. Also good for hunting, baking, making jelly and pickles.

KNEE - Capricornus - Goat December 22 to January 20 Moon in Capricorn. Goat, Knees—Moist and Semi-fruitful; Earth, Feminine Good sign to plant and transplant root crops. Also all crops. Produces good root and stalk growth. Good sign for pruning and grafting. Earth sign ruled by Saturn. Good sign to pour foundations, pulling teeth, canning, weaning children and animals. Also a fair sign for fishing.