THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
133 
The labor required, including the whole time, 
with the digging, cleaning, threshing, &c., was 
Irom eighty to one hundred days’ wort per acre. 
The outlay for buildings, fixtures, &c., did not 
exceed, in all, fifty dollars. 
The value of the crop was at the rate of fif- 
teen cents per pound, at w'hich price he sold 
most of it — notwithstanding the circumstance 
of its being unknown to purchasers, and all the 
prejudice that usually exists in such cases. 
The result, then, in figures, fairly stated, 
stands thus, lor an acre of good land properly 
managed : 
By 2,000 lbs. of madder, at 15 cents per lb , 
$•300 00 
Contra — To 100 days’ work, mostly 
boys, at 75 cents per day, $75 00 
Use of land, 4 years, at $4 per 
year, 16 00 
Grinding, packing, &c., 9 00 
100 00 
Leaving a nett profit per acre, of $200 00 
Mr. Swift was one of the earliest settlers of 
that section of the country, having resided near- 
ly thirty years on the farm he now occupies, 
which consists of about 400 acres of choice 
land, mostly alluvial, in the valley of the Ver- 
million river, .seven miles from Lake Erie. At i 
my request, he furnished me with the following 
practical directions for the cultivation of mad- 
der, which he remarked must be understood as 
intended for those who wish to cultivate only a 
lew acres, and cannot afford much outlay of 
capital. Those who wish to engage in the bu- 
siness on an extensive scale, would need to 
adopt a some what different practice. 
SoU and Preparation. — The soil should be a 
deep, rich, sandy loam, free from weeds, roots, 
stones, &c., and containing a good portion of 
vegetable earth. Alluvial “bottom” land is the 
most suitable-; but it must not be wet. If old 
upland is used, it should receive a heavy coating 
of vegetable earth, (from decayed wood and 
leaves.) The land should be plowed very deep 
in the (all ; and early in spring apply about one 
hundred loads of well-rotted manure per acre, 
spread evenly, and plowed in deeply ; then har- 
row till quite fine and fiee from lumps. JXext, 
plow the land into beds four feet wide, leaving 
alleys between, three.feet wide; then harrow the 
beds with a fine light harrow, or rake them by 
hand so as to leave them smooth and even with 
the alleys. They are then ready for planting. 
Preparing Ssts and Planting. — Madder-sets, 
or seed-roots, are best selected when the crop is 
dug in the fall. The horizontal uppermost roots 
(with eyes) are the kind to be used; these should 
be separated from the bottom root, and buried in 
sand, in a cellar or pit. If not done in the fall, 
the sets may be dug early in the spring, before 
they begin to sprout. They should be cut or 
broken into pieces, containing from two to five 
eyes each — i. e. three to four inches long. The 
time for planting is as early in spring as the 
ground can be got in good order, and severe 
frosts are over, which, in this climate, is usually 
about the middle of April. With the beds pre- 
pared as directed, stretch a line lengthwise the 
bed, and -with the corner of a hoe make a drill 
two inches deep along each edge and down the 
middle, so as to give three rows to each bed, 
about two feet apart. Into these drills drop the 
sets, ten inches apart, covering them two inches 
deep. Eight or ten bushels of sets are requisite 
for an acre. 
After Culture. — As soon as the madder plants 
can be seen, the ground should be carefully hoed, 
so as to destroy the weeds and not injure the 
plants; and the hoeing and weeding must be re- 
peated as often as the weeds make their appear- 
ance. If any of the sets have failed to grow, the 
vacancies should be filled by taking up parts of 
the strongest roots and transplanting them ; this 
is best done in June. As soon as the madder 
plants are ten or twelve inches high, the tops are 
to be bent down to the surface of the ground, 
and all except the tip end coveted with earth 
shovelled from the middle of the alleys. Bend 
the shoots outward and inward, in every direc- 
es, put half a bushel ot roots at a time and stir 
them about in the water, pulling the bunches 
apart so as to vvash therr: clean ; then, having a 
platform at hand, lay them on it to dry. To 
make the platform, take two or three common 
boards, so as to be about four feet in width, and 
nail cleets across the under side.) On these i 
spread the roots about two inches thick for dry- 
ing in the sun. Carr}'- the platforms to a con- 
venient place, not far from the house, and place 
them side by side in rows east and west, and 
with their ends north and south, leaving room to 
walk between the rows. Elevate the south ends 
of the platforms about eighteen inches, and the 
north ends about six inches from the ground, 
putting poles or sticks to support them: this 
will greatly facilitate drying. After the second 
or third day drying, the madder must be protect- 
ed from the dews at night, and from rain, by 
placing the platforms one upon another to a 
convenient height, and covering the uppermost 
one with boards. Spread them out again in the 
morning, or as soon as danger is over. Five or 
six days of ordinary fine weather will dry the 
madder sufficiently, when it may be put away 
till it is convenient to kiln-dry and grind it. 
Kiln-drying. — The size and mode of construct- 
ing the kiln may be varied to suit circumstan- 
ces. The following is a very cheap plan, and 
sufficient to dry one ton ot roots at a time. 
Place four strong posts in the ground, twelve 
feet apart one way, and eighteen the other; put 
girts across the bottom, middle and top; and 
nail boards perpendicularly on the outside as for 
a common bam. The boards must be well sea- 
soned, and all cracks or holes should be plaster- 
ed or otherwise stopped up. Make a shed-roof 
of common boards. In the inside, put upright 
standards about five feet apart, with cross-pie- 
ces, to support the scaffolding. The first cross- 
pieces to be lour feet from the floor ; the nex 
two feet higher, and so on to the top. On these 
cross-pieces, lay small poles about six feet long 
and two inches thick, four or five inches apart. 
On these scaffolds the madder is to be spread 
nine inches thick. A floor is laid at the bot- 
tom, to keep all dry and clean. When the kiln 
is filled, take six or eight kettles or hand-furna- 
ces, and place them four or five feet apart on the 
floor, (first securing it from fire with bricks or 
stones,) and make fires in them witn charcoal, 
being careful not to make any of the fires so 
large as to scorch the madder over them. A 
person must be in constant attendance to watch 
and leplenisfi the fires. The heat will ascend 
through the whole, and in ten or twelve hours 
it will all be sufficiently dried, which is known 
by its becoming brittle like pipe-stems. 
Breaking and Grinding. — Immediately after 
being dried, tbe madder must be taken to the 
barn and threshed with flails, or broken by ma- 
chinery, (a mill might be constructed for this 
purpose,) so that it will feed in a common grist- 
mill. If it is not broken and ground immediate- 
ly, it will gather dampness so as to prevent its 
grinding freeljc Any common grist-mill can 
grind madder properly. When ground finely it 
is fit for use, and may be packed in barrels like 
flour for market. 
Amotunt and value of Product, <^c. — Mr. Swift 
measured off a part of his ground, and carefully 
weighed the product when dried, which he found 
to be over two thousand pounds per acre, not- 
withstanding the seasons were mostly very un- 
favorable. With his present knowledge of the 
business, he is confident that he can obtain at 
least three thousand pounds per acre, which is 
said to be more than is often obtained in Ger- 
many. The whole amount of labor heestimates 
at from eighty to one hundred days’ work per 
acre. The value of the crop, at the usual 
w'holesale price, (about fifteen cents per pound,) 
is from three to four thousand dollars. In fo- 
reign countries it is customary to make several 
qualities of the madder, which is done by sort- 
ing the roots; but as only one quality is requir- 
ed for the western market, Mr. Swift makes but 
one, and that is found to be superior to most of 
the imported, and finds a ready sale. 
If any person desires instruction for making 
several qualities of madder, or further informa- 
tion respecting any other point, it ma}' be obtain- 
ed by addressing, post-paid, Joseph Swiff, Bir- 
mingham, Erie county, Ohio. 
From the Tennessee Agriculturist. 
TO FARMERS’ DAUGHTERS. 
It has been sometime since I talked to the 
girls. This evening I will give them a few 
lines, letting them know I think ot them yet. 
As usual, I am dwelling on the common, every 
day affairs of life, and feeling more and more 
the importance of young females being well ac- 
quainted with all the minuti^ thereof. The 
reason for ray writing as I do at present, I will 
give you. 
A few days since, I heard a gentleman, who 
wished a domestic, industrious, and contented 
wife, speaking of a pretty, interesting girl, 
praising her modest deportment and engaging 
manners; but at last, wound up with, “She 
does not know how to do any thing useful ; she 
could not even make her own dresses; she 
would be of very litile use in this world of hard 
work.” JMow, 1 had nearl}’^ the same opinion 
myself, though 1 would not tell him, you know; 
but I thought 1 would tell jmu, and let you profit 
by it, if }’ou choose. He spoke also ot some 
young ladies who studied mental and moral phi- 
losophy, chemistry, and other branches, and 
wanted to know what use it would finally be. 
He was certain, from his own observation, they 
did not have enough of philosophy to govern 
their tempers and general conduct; and as to 
chemistry, all their study of it had not given 
them a knowledge of bread-making, which he 
considered a very important item, his mother 
having been successful m that line of business, 
and he had been accustomed to the best sort of 
bread. He thought, if their studies were not of 
some practical utility, they might as well be let 
alone. 
I was really amused, to hear views so much 
in opposition to the prevailing notions of the 
day; and, to tell t't e truth, I thought there was 
some good common sense in them, though I in- 
formed him the girls would laugh most heartily 
at such nonsensical stuff, in these days of im- 
provement, when many consider it polite and 
sensible to be perfectly ignorant of common af- 
fairs, My advice was, that he should go away 
out in the country, and look for the daughter of 
some good farmer, who had taught his family 
that it is honorable to engage in all the useful 
employments in which the greater part of the du • 
ty of woman consists — one who could sit down 
happily at home, and study household good, 
without sighing for the excitement of fine dress, 
fashionable furniture, fashionable visits, and 
all those fashionable things that disturb the 
peace of young housekeepers, and render home 
a scene of misery and strife, instead of the gath- 
ering place ot the heart’s best affections. 
If girls had any idea of what would promote 
their future happiness and interest, more of their 
precious time would be spent in the acquisition, 
of useful and necessary knowledge, rather than 
frittering it away to gain a lew (generally use- 
less) accomplishments. The first is of great 
importance, in every situation of life; the latter 
are almost always given up, as soon as their 
possessor takes her station at the head of a fami- 
ly. I w’as led to consider what should be the 
character of a lady who has finished her educa- 
tion, or who at least has left school, and also of 
the training necessary to form that character.— 
Nothing preventing, I will tell you my cogita- 
tions at some future time, although some of jmu 
will think I am altogether too old-fashioned to 
be writing in these days of light and know- 
ledge. Lucy. 
Agricultural Cariosity. — A friend has given, 
to us a natural curiosity, as the product ot a 
corn stalk. It is a main ear with thirty five 
lateral shoots, or small ears, most singular 
interwoven into each other, forming a handsome 
group, which might very properly be called a 
bouquet of ears. It was grown in the corn 
field of Mr. Dlffenderffer, near Lancaster, Pg, 
