80 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Deep Ploughing—Steam Engines—Wisconsin. 
Buffalo, April 12, 1838. 
My Dear Sir —Under the head of “good tillage,” 
in your last number of the Cultivator, you have thrown 
out some most valuable suggestions as to the mode of 
ploughing. Your recommendation of deep ploughing 
is one that I have thought for some time, should be 
made a subject of special attention by agricultural pa¬ 
pers, and insisted on, as the great augmenter of nutri¬ 
ment for vegetables. By breaking up the hard, com¬ 
pact earth, which sustains the vegetable mould, and 
disintegrating this indurated mass, the atmosphere, 
and rains, and dews, have access to portions of earth 
hitherto beyond its reach, and as you have conclusive¬ 
ly shown, rapidly fertilize and render it capable of sus¬ 
taining vegetable life. This increase of the pabulum 
of vegetables by the difference of the mode of culture, 
without addition of expense for material, and scarcely 
any of labor, seems akin to that of increasing the food 
of animals by steaming simply; the first makes two 
blades of grass grown where only one grew before, 
and the last makes each blade go twice as far; the 
result of the combined improvement of deep plough¬ 
ing and steaming, giving as four for one over the com¬ 
mon methods. These topics should be insisted on 
strongly and constantly, and whenever adopted gene¬ 
rally through the country, farming will become what 
it really is, and ever ought to have been considered, 
not only the first and noblest, but the most profitable 
occupation of man. 
This subject acquires great additional interest when 
applied to our western soil. With us, and throughout 
the great west, nearly all, (I think I speak within 
bounds in asserting seven-eighths at least,) of the 
land in the west, is what is called clay, having a clay 
sub-soil, with a large share of this earth intermixed 
with the super-soil. This is eminently the kind to be 
most improved by deep ploughing. This earth is so 
adhesive that it forms a perfectly solid mass, imper¬ 
meable to w T ater and the atmosphere in the slightest 
degree, and while remaining in this state, incapable 
of furnishing the least sustenance to vegetables. Yet 
this same sterile material, so worthless in its natural 
condition, becomes by proper cultivation, the most 
fertile and valuable, capable of producing, with pro¬ 
per additions of coarse manures, every variety of crop 
in the greatest luxuriance. Deep ploughing is the 
first and essential requisite for this, and now sir, how 
are we to apply the remedy 1 We have no plough 
that is at all suited to this object. “ Smith’s sub-soil 
plough ” referred to, we have no description of, and 
know not where to obtain, till you, sir, do your sub¬ 
scribers the favor to direct them where they can be 
procured, or give a description so minute that any in¬ 
genious mechanic can make one. With this instru¬ 
ment, however, it seems to me a steam propelling 
power should be used, as the great additional labor to 
be done will require a considerable increase of power, 
which will render the application of steam peculiarly 
appropriate and desirable, Indeed from the great sav¬ 
ing which steam would afford in this branch of hus¬ 
bandry, it is somewhat surprising we have not yet 
had even one successful steam plough. In the spring 
of ’36, while travlling over the fertile praries of Wis¬ 
consin, I was struck with the perfect feasibility of the 
application of steam to ploughing, and of its great uti¬ 
lity too, as I saw some eight or ten yoke of large cat¬ 
tle attached to an axletree, to which a plough was 
fastened, and this with no one to hold it, and only a 
single driver, was turning a furrow of almost intermina¬ 
ble length, at a snail’s pace, which it is almost impos¬ 
sible to quicken with oxen attached to a plough of any 
kind. There was nothing in this operation which was 
not perfectly mechanical, and coming within the scope 
of machinery, under competent management. For a 
targe portion of the west, (with us as well as else¬ 
where, when the ground is clear of stumps,) and 
over all the level lands of the east, such as the large 
and fertile intervals of the Connecticut, in and about 
Northampton, where by ajudicious municipal arrange¬ 
ment, fences are done away with, tracts of thousands 
of acres could be ploughed in a body by a single ma¬ 
chine, at an expense of probably one-fourth the pre¬ 
sent cost of ploughing, and this too may be done with 
scarcely a perceptible increase of expense for any ad¬ 
ditional depth, and others by combining the two im¬ 
provements, steam and deep ploughing, we obtain our 
great objects, the fertilisation of the soil and the large 
increase of vegetable product, at an expense very much 
below that of the ordinary method. 
Mr. Dutcher, ofNew-York, the successful compe¬ 
titor for the premium plough at the fair of the Ame¬ 
rican Institute last fall, is experimenting on a steam 
apparatus, as I was informed when in the city last 
winter, but my search for his establishment was un¬ 
successful, and I know not what progress may have 
been made in perfecting one. It is to be hoped, how¬ 
ever, it may not be deferred beyond the period abso¬ 
lutely required to complete it. 
Allow me, sir, to suggest an idea or two which you 
can make of benefit to the community, though a little 
out of the path of agriculture. Cannot steam be used 
to a great extent in enlarging our canal by applying it 
to excavating machines, which will work perfectly 
well under water 1 I have used such a machine in 
some parts of our harbor, that with horse power would 
do the work at from six to eight cents the cubic yard. 
Could excavation be done as cheap even if the water 
were excluded 1 
In the long reaches of the canal, where locks were 
not interposed, could not a large saving be made by 
laying a slight rail-way on the tow-path for a locomo¬ 
tive, that could draw any number of boats attached 
to it, at twice the present speed, and perhaps one- 
tenth the present expense! Cannot some plan be 
devised of carrying off the smoke, cinders and steam, 
which are now the great annoyance of rail-road tra¬ 
velling ! I believe it entirely practicable, by having 
large, stationary, horizontal pipes attached to the top 
of each car, to be connected when the cars are at¬ 
tached to each other, by flexible pipes, which can in 
a moment be joined, and through this continuous pipe 
the whole obnoxious effluvia from the locomotive 
would be delivered behind the train. In winter a pipe 
might form a part of the floor of the cars, and thus 
contribute essentially to the comfort of passengers. 
This alteration would allow of seats on the top, and 
thus enable travellers in pleasant weather to make a 
trip as agreeable as expeditious. 
Can you inform me where any of the genuine Egyp¬ 
tian spring wheat can be obtained! 
Excuse this discursive sheet; I should not have ob¬ 
truded myself at this time on your attention, but for 
the purpose of requesting you to forward the present 
volume of the Cultivator to J. W. Conroe, P. M. 
Manitouwoc Rapids, Wisconsin Territory. We are 
beginning a fine settlement at and adjoining the mouth 
of the river in this fertile valley, which extends from 
Lake Michigan on the east to Lake Winnebago on 
the west, through which we hope eventually to have 
a navigation by the Fox and Wisconsin rivers, now 
navigable to the Mississippi; and this internal com¬ 
munication will be second to none other in importance 
in the west, combining timbered lands and prairie of 
unsurpassed fertility, copper and lead mines, pure 
water and a wholsome climate, soon to be filled with 
a dense, intelligent, active and thriving population, 
and we want to begin this end of it right, and know of 
no better method than to commence with your excel¬ 
lent publication and the Genesee Farmer. If your 
periodical suits the soil and climate, and I know of no 
objection to its answering for both, I think in five 
years you will have some thousands of subscribers in 
that territory alone. 
Very truly, your friend and ob’t serv’t., 
R. L. ALLEN. 
rishment while sucking, they will never arrive at the 
weight they would otherwise attain. 
It is advantageous early, say when they are four 
weeks old, to accustom the pigs to feed from a shal- 
ow trough, on milk, corn meal, ground oats, barley, 
oeas, or buckwheat; boiled potatoes or carrots, mixed 
with the above is also very grateful to them. This 
not only gives the pigs a fair start, but very much re- 
ieves the sows. 
I have my troughs so constructed, that the pigs can 
be fed without the interference of the mother. (See 
my plan of a piggery in the first number, page 14, of 
the present volume of the Cultivator.) 
At the end of a week or ten days after farrow¬ 
ing, they may be turned out of their pens into yards, 
for two or three hours on warm days, in order to 
stretch their legs, which is far preferable to total con¬ 
finement. 
The best time to wean pigs is when they are from 
six to eight weeks of age. They should be kept in 
styes having yards, or if possible, a clover patch for 
them to run in. Their food should be good; feed of¬ 
ten and a little at a time, and as much as they will 
eat. Boded or steamed potatoes or carrots, with a 
little corn meal, ground oats, barley or buckwheat, 
and where there is a dairy, mix with milk instead of 
water. 
For making pigs grow fast, I never have found any 
food to compare with the offals of an hotel, or the 
slop of the dairy. During the weaning, great care 
should be taken in supplying them with plenty of 
sweet straw, and to keep them as clean as possible, 
so that they may always have fine sleek coats ; a cir¬ 
cumstance this, of such importance, that the want of 
it can never be compensated by the most plentiful 
supply of food. 
This management is not peculiar to the Berkshire 
oigs, but will apply equally well to any breed. Sows 
may be permitted to breed till they are six years old; 
and the boar may be well until he has passed his fifth 
year, after which they may be fattened for pork. 
For winter food for store hogs and breeding sows, 
I find roots admirably calculated, such as carrots or 
ruta baga, given them raw at noon and night and 
boiled or steamed with a small quantity of ship stuffs 
or buckwheat bran, mixed and given them warm in 
the morning. On such food, I kept from fifteen to 
twenty head daring the winter, and I never had them 
in finer condition. 
Charcoal, clay or rotten wood should be given them 
occasionally; also, a small quantity of sulphur should 
be mixed with their food, as often as every other week. 
Their boiled food should be seasoned with salt. 
C. N. BEMENT. 
Three Hills Farm, May, 1838. 
Jud&e Burl. 
Treatment of Berkshire Hogs. 
[Fig. No. 37.] 
Mr. Buel —Sir—It was my intention to have had 
the above cut, a portrait of one of my Berkshire 
sows, at the head of my communication in the last 
number of the Cultivator, but the absence of Mr. 
Pease, the engraver, prevented his finishing it in time ; 
I therefore offer it now, and accompany it with some 
information which I have been called on for, regard¬ 
ing the feeding and management of breeding sows, 
&c. &c. 
Swine are capable of propagation at eight or nine 
months of age, but to insure great size, and a strong¬ 
er and better litter, it is advisable not to have them 
come in, until after they are one year old. The boar 
should be used sparingly until he is eighteen months 
of age. The period of gestation is about sixteen 
weeks, so that two litters may be easily produced in 
the year. I prefer the months of March and Sep¬ 
tember, for my sows to litter, as the weather is ge¬ 
nerally milder and less risk in rearing. 
The usual produce, from my old Berkshire sows, is 
from nine to fourteen pigs—the younger ones from 
five to nine. When about to farrow, they should be 
put into separate pens, otherwise they may overlay 
or will mutually devour their offspring. Care should 
be taken not to let them get too fat; as experience 
having shown, that if they are in very high order, 
they will not produce as many nor as strong pigs. 
While suckling their pigs sows should not only be 
plentifully fed on nutritious food, but should be regu¬ 
larly fed, for if pigs are deprived of their proper nou¬ 
Italian Spring Wheat. 
Judge' Buel —Dear Sir—It pains me to say that 
many wheat fields among us show no signs of vegeta¬ 
tion ; farmers are divided in opinion as to the cause ; 
many impute it to the long continued cold in April, 
and severe freezing; others to brining overmuch; I 
incline to the latter opinion. Within a few days past, 
I took a sample of spring wheat from the mill—it had 
been screened and scoured in the smut machine—one 
parcel of it I covered with moist earth; another I put 
into brine, and after twelve hours, took it out and co¬ 
vered as before ; the third parcel I put also into brine, 
it lay twenty-four hours, and then was sown. Of the 
first parcel, after five days, I did not find one kernel 
in fifty, but was firmly rooted and sprouted; of the 
two brined parcels, I did not find either sprouts or 
roots on a single kernel. Thus I have proof that ad¬ 
mits of no doubt, that if Italian spring wheat be 
soaked in strong brine twelve hours, the principle of 
vegetation is destroyed. This fact ought to be wide¬ 
ly disseminated. Other wheat, of a thicker epider¬ 
mis may, for ought I know, grow after being steeped 
half a day in brine, but the Italian will not. I intend 
to experiment still farther, and ascertain the time 
that wheat will loose vitality in brine. 
Respectfully yours, 
j. HATHAWAY. 
Rome, 12 th May, 1838. 
NOTE. 
We will not pretend to conjecture why Mr. Hathaway's 
Italian wheat did not sprout after being steeped in brine; but 
we can state as an offsett, that we have soaked seed wheat 
in pickle, during twenty years practice, including the Italian, 
without the germinating principle having been destroyed, or 
apparently impaired. The practice has been general, and the 
above is the first case which has come to our knowledge, of 
its having proved prejudicial.— Cond. Cult. 
Manures—Madden—W heat—Butter. 
Pleasant Township, Warren co. near Warren, ) 
Pa. May 5,1838. £ 
J. Buel, Esq. —I have read the Cultivator from the 
beginning, and am indebted to it, for much of my li¬ 
mited knowledge of agriculture, having spent the prime 
of life in other pursuits. So important is this pub¬ 
lication in my estimation that I would encourage ths 
