That's a lot of curing salt.

 

One ounce of saltpetre (potassium nitrate) is just a hair under 1 Tbsp (.9) so for monkey math we will just call it 1 Tbsp

"1 pint of molasses per lb of saltpetre" (1oz is 1/16th of lb) so 1/16th pint which is equal to ⅛ of a cup of molasses

"¼ lb of salt per pint of molasses" roughly 3½ Tbsp so 1/16th of that is a hair under ¼ Tbsp

So for one ham:
1 Tbsp Saltpetre
⅛ cup Molasses
¼ Tbsp Salt

Doesn't seem like that much when you break it down

 

I'm on low sodium diet. I may try this one.

 

It doesn't mention the time of year, maybe they assume you know when to kill hogs. I wonder how much else they assume you know.

 

When my dad was growing up, it was mid to late October in northern Michigan.

 

Saltpeter can be potassium nitrate but the deposits in Chile are sodium nitrate. Prague powder contains sodium nitrite.

 

Absolutely.
I clarified potassium nitrate because a) it is the common version and b) it can be found naturally in the Southern U.S. where this recipe was written.

 

No mention of the size of ham (pounds) for that recipe?

 

No mention of ham size plus I do believe there is a typo in the recipe because if Cannon Fodder's figures are correct (I glanced at them and they seem ok), that isn't even enough curing salt there to cure a turkey leg, much less a ham.

 

this one may be a little safer / accurate? from VA Tech

we just don't get cold enough to try.