THE CULTIVATOR. 
183 - 
in all his conduct. He perceives that the sun and moon 
perform their circuits without loitering on the way; and 
learns from them that industry is required at his hands. 
He looks to Heaven through its rains and dews, for the 
reward of his labors in the abundance of his crops.— 
He makes the sacred volume of revelation the man of 
his council, and the source of his consolation. He unites 
with his wife and children in tones of supplication and 
strains of praise around the family altar on the morning 
and evening of each day. He acknowledges no sove¬ 
reign but Heaven and the people; he bows with appro¬ 
priate reverence to the will of each, and exults in the 
freedom of his own, for his homage is a free-will offer¬ 
ing claimed at his hand by the convictions of his rea¬ 
son. His affections are conducted by his judgment and 
not by his fears, in his devotions. Matron chastity, 
and infantile innocence sweeten and religion hallows 
the atmosphere of his home, and render it irresistibly 
attractive. He loves his country because the farm and 
the domicil of which he is the proprietor, and with 
which his affections are identified, are a part of that 
country. His patriotism is an essential part of his con¬ 
scious identity. Connected by his affections with the 
soil, and by his piety with heaven, it partakes of the sta¬ 
bility of the former, and the purity of the latter. It in¬ 
spires him with holy enthusiasm in the cause of his coun¬ 
try, when its honor or its safety is concerned. It is 
electric, and strikes every contiguous bosom till it per¬ 
vades the comm unity.” __ 
How to Preserve Tomatoes for Winter. 
Among other improvements in Horticulture, I have 
been gratified to observe the increased cultivation of the 
tomato. Believing this to be a most healthy vegetable, 
I send you an account of the manner in which, univer¬ 
sally in Asia Minor, they are preserved for use during 
the winter. 
Cut the tomatoes in two when quite ripe, and sprin¬ 
kle considerable fine salt on them over night. Next day 
pass them through a cullender, moistening them with a 
little water; set the part thus strained through to dry in 
the sun, in shallow dishes, in depth half an inch or an 
inch ; and when hardened to something more than the 
consistence of a jelly, put it away in covered jars, with¬ 
out any other preparation, for daily use. Should it show 
any signs of injuring, add more salt, and expose the jar 
again to the sun. This, it is presumed, will seldom be 
necessary—a specimen of what was prepared for my 
family more than twenty months ago, is still in a fine 
state of preservation. 
A table spoonful of this tomato jelly is enough to im¬ 
part a relish to a dish of pilaf, that is, rice cooked with 
meat or butter, or soup, for a large family. 
Rohan Potatoes. 
The last of May, 1838,1 received from my friend, the 
Hon. J. Buel, of Albany, one Rohan potato, which 
yielded 50 lbs. The last of April, 1839, I planted 48 
lbs. of seed and from it on the last of September last, I 
harvested 4,204 lbs. which measured 74 bushels—many 
of the tubers weighed over 3 lbs. each—and 20 of the 
largest filled a bushel basket. 
Elmira , Oct. 8, 1839. HERYEY LUCE. 
Breeding Swine. 
From the Franklin Farmer. 
We feel very much indebted to the writer for the fol¬ 
lowing excellent communication on a subject of the 
greatest importance. The rearing of swine is a depart¬ 
ment of rural economy in which there is room for the 
greatest improvement, and we think our Kentucky breed¬ 
ers will find much useful information and many valua¬ 
ble hints in the communication below. 
Buffalo, N. Y. ./lugust 3 1st, 1839. 
To the Editor of the Franklin Farmer; 
Sir —Agreeable to the intimations in my last, I now 
come to the rules adopted by the most successful breed¬ 
ers of B erkshires in this vicinity: your readers will excuse 
my particularity in stating them, for the reasons that the 
article of pork, as before asserted, is the most important 
item of western agricultural production, and that I am 
writing to those who are not above their business, but 
who take the same pride and pleasure in raising a fine 
race of hogs, as they would in that of blooded horses or 
Durham cattle. 
A boar should never be permitted to be used till seven 
months old at least, and it would be much better that he 
were allowed to run till nine months. But if commenc¬ 
ing at seven months, he should cover sparingly, say 
not more than fifteen or twenty sows till a year old, and 
these as distant apart as possible—one or two only in a 
single week. From this time till he has attained pretty 
full vigor, which I should place at about eighteen 
months age, he may be used a little more freely. His 
spring seasons might then vary from twenty-five to thir¬ 
ty sows, and his fall nearly double this number. In the 
meanwhile he should be kept with care. A strong door 
may open from his pen into another, to which the sow 
is introduced, the boar is then let in and allowed one coi¬ 
tus only, immediately after which he must be turned 
back, and the sow taken away. It has generally been 
noted that one covering produces a greater number and 
stronger offspring than two or three, and that an adlibi- 
tum service, is alike pernicious to all parties. 
The best food for the boar during the season, is boiled 
or soaked corn, with plenty of pure fresh water, and for 
a variety some swill from the house with meal in it (oat 
is the best) and a raw or boiled vegetable root or two; 
and as an antidote of disease, and to give tone to the 
appetite, and assist digestion, a table spoonful or so of 
sulphur is occasionally put in his food. Salt is also plac¬ 
ed where he can get at it when he pleases, and char¬ 
coal or small chunks of rotten wood, together with a 
handful of crushed bones, if convenient, is thrown. He 
must be kept up alone in his stye under close cover with 
a plank floor and plenty ofdry litter, the sleeping apart¬ 
ment communicating with a good yard to exercise and 
root and wallow in, and a strong post placed upright 
near the centre for him to rub against. 
During the interim between the spring and fall sea¬ 
sons, it would be greatly conducive to the health, vigor 
and longevity of the boar, if he could have a run in a 
cool grass pasture, with clear sweet water passing 
throughout, and take lighter food than when in service, 
but yet sufficiently nutritious to keep him in fair store 
order. A good animal thus treated, may last ten to 
twelve years and get excellent stock first to last. But 
great care must be taken that he be not overworked; 
this is deemed very essential. It is the great fault of 
us Americans, that when we have obtained a male 
that has any way distinguished itself, instead of hus¬ 
banding its resources, we use it too much, and this 
is one great reason why the stock of such animals so 
often disappoints the public. I understand that parti¬ 
cular English breeders, limit their best horses and bulls 
to about thirty females, and often as low as twenty or 
five and twenty. What their usage is for boars I do not 
know, but I suspect that it would be less than here al¬ 
lowed. It will be admitted however that individual 
males, may serve well a greater number than limited 
above, but my principle is, not to work them up to their 
full capacity; if error must be committed, it is better 
that it be on the safe side. 
Unless a sow were very coarse, and the object was to 
fine her, I would not allow her to breed till eighteen 
months old, and if something extra was desired, she 
ought not to come in under two years. There is then no 
check in growth, and the first litter is usually as good 
as any subsequent one. She ought to be taken up and 
occupy a place alone, either in a pasture or a pen simi¬ 
lar to that described for the boar, one month previous to 
farrowing, her condition kept good, and strictly watch¬ 
ed when expected to bring forth. Assoonasdropped,see 
that the pigs are cleaned and take the teat, and the dam 
rid of the placenta and that carried off and buried. The 
watching should continue a day or two longer, till the 
pigs get a little strong and lively, as the sows of this 
breed are so heavy as to endanger their being lain or 
trod upon and killed. One pig more saved than leaving 
the sow to herself, amply repays all this extra attention. 
Although objections are made to giving food immedi¬ 
ately after farrowing, I can see no reason in them; the 
poor animal is faint and dry, and requires nourishment, 
and my rule is to feed it swill in a moderate quanti¬ 
ty a little more than blood warm as soon as it will get 
up and eat it. This is gradually thickened the next 
day, and. by the time the pigs are a week old, the dam 
is allowed to eat all it will without cloying. A mixture 
of oat and pea or Indian meal, of one part of either the 
latter to three parts of the former, is highly recommen¬ 
ded for nursing, together with an equal quantity of 
steamed vegetables. As soon as the pigs will eat, a 
small open door should be placed in the pen under which 
they could run and be separate from the sows, a trough 
set in, and milk, with a light mixture of oat meal pour¬ 
ed out for them. This greatly relieves the sow, and aTdds 
much to the growth of the pigs, they wean then, with 
out scouring, losing condition in the least, or being 
checked in their growth. It is generally thought that 
pigs do as well to be weaned at six weeks old, as later, 
as the little milk each then gets, is obtained by more or 
less quarrelling, and adds a distaste to their other food, 
besides it is a great consideration to get them off the 
sow as soon as possible. Eight or ten great pigs tug¬ 
ging at her breast for two or threemonths is hard to be 
borne, and frequently very pernicious to her teats. In 
weaning, all but one should be taken off, put the dam on 
short allowance, and in two days take the remaining 
pig away, allowing it at first, to draw the breast twice 
a day, and then diminish till once in two or three days 
during a week, then turn the sow out to grass and leave 
off entirely, and commence gradually putting her into 
condition again. The Berkshires are great milkers, 
and must be well attended to at weaning time, or then- 
breasts will fill, become caked and swollen, and finally 
ulcerate and be the cause sometimes of the death of the 
sow. 
Two litters are allowed per annum, and a preference 
for farrowing in this climate, is given to the months of 
April and September. Farther south later and earlier 
will answer. A pig when first dropped is a very tender 
animal, and if the weather be too cold it will perish ; the 
dam also is likely to become ravenous and devour her 
offspring, or refuse to nurse it. Sows are better to be 
always separate, but with the owner of a large herd, 
this is inconvenient, and adds greatly to the expense of 
keeping them. One must do as well as he can in this 
particular, but when nearly of a size and tolerably 
peaceable, four may be kept together in a pen, and a 
dozen or so in a pasture. The breed greatly decides on 
this point. For instance, I could keep a hundred Chi¬ 
nese together without quarrelling or accidents, they are 
so good natured and quiet; but then again, they huddle 
too close, and so want as much separating as others. 
These being smaller and of quicker maturity than the 
Berkshires, the sows may come in at a year old, and 
when full grown, great care must be taken about over¬ 
feeding and keeping them too confined. The bellies of 
this stock are now nearly dragging on the ground, 
though they have had no other iood since the forepart 
of May, than what they have found in a poor grass 
pasture. Those I have sold west, get so fat on shack 
by November as to be hardly able to waddle, and make 
the nicest of pork without further feeding. In England 
they are called par excellence, the “ gentlemen’s hog,” 
and though their pork inclines rather too much to fat, 
still it is so sweet and delicate, that it is more generally 
preferred by those who can afford it. The crosses of 
these with the Berkshires are in a great repute at the 
Smithfield market, and I will add that what little has 
been thus made here, takes the preference. The hams 
well boiled, and eaten cold, seem absolutely to dissolve 
in the mouth without mastication. The average weight 
of my improved Chinese, may be at eighteen months 
old, from two hundred to two hundred and fifty pounds. 
Occasionally they will go older to three hundred and 
even four hundred pounds, but this is very rare. Though 
small, they have proved to the other races of hogs, 
what the Arabians have to horses, the foundation of all 
improvement. 
The reader will have surmised from my observations 
on breeding, at least some of the causes why the Berk¬ 
shires with you have not come up to the full sizes so of¬ 
ten stated by the eastern breeder, that they arrive at, 
but lest he may not yet thoroughly understand the de¬ 
merits of the case, injustice to both seller and purcha¬ 
ser, I shall proceed to briefly state them. Suppose then 
that we start with a pair of Berkshires from unexcep- 
tionable stock, the produce may deteriorate in size eith¬ 
er from too great affinity in blood of the parents, breed¬ 
ing too young, too old, or too much. Keeping too fat, 
(which by the way is not often the case) too poor, or too 
confined—from diseases known and unknown, from 
runts that will occasionally be dropped, from scantiness 
and impropriety of food to the pig, and occasionally, 
over which no one has control, and that check its growth 
from sufferings through the inattention of the transpor¬ 
ters to its place of destination, and finally from a ge¬ 
neral deterioration in nature. Really good animals that 
are every way right, are rare, very rare indeed, and 
when at last obtained, cannot be too highly cherished. 
That there may be an increased effort to produce them 
throughout the United States, is the ardent desire of 
Your obedient servant, A. B. ALLEN. 
We received the following in the same package which 
brought the foregoing. In reference to the hardiness of 
Durham cattle, since the publication of our article al¬ 
luded to below, a number of breeders have furnished us 
with facts going to prove that this breed is equal to the 
native cattle in vigor and hardiness of constitution.—• 
We should be glad to have their experience on the sub¬ 
ject written out for publication; and it would be well if 
some breeder would treat the subject with reference to 
the physiology as well as the habits of the animals. In 
point of animal conformation, we never have entertain¬ 
ed a doubt that the Durhams would be better able to en¬ 
dure hardships than the scrubs ; and our opinions as to 
the superior hardiness of the latter are founded on the 
fear that the tenderness with which the former are usu¬ 
ally (and very properly) treated, might tend to establish 
a habit in them, unfavorable to their hardiness. Let 
us hear from old breeders on this subject. We shall be 
able, we think, to settle the question for ourselves the 
ensuing winter. 
“ I was just folding up the inclosed missile to send you, 
when the Franklin Farmer of the 17th inst. was brought 
down home from the post office. I notice your just 
and candid remarks on hogs and cattle. You mention 
xleep, muddy roads, but will gather from the contents of 
my last letter that I had dry ones only in prospect for 
the Berkshires. I was not aware that you drove in 
mud. The greater weight of the Berkshires in soft 
roads would tell against them, still I do not think the 
Longshanks would have much the advantage over those 
only a year old or so.;; above this age I think they would 
decidedly, though here with yourself, I would prefer to 
have a trial instead of an opinion —coarse bones, how¬ 
ever, do not constitute superior strength or endurance. 
The same diameter of bone ofa race horse, as itismore 
compact, finer grained, and less porous than that of the 
cart horse, must consequently be stronger, for instance, 
something like ivory compared with bone. It is said 
that the Berkshires possess this superiority. But there 
must be something aside from bone to constitute strength, 
and endurance—such as as ligament, muscle, &c. 
“ I most heartily wish that your proposition of giving 
premiums could be acied on at fairs. This ought to be 
the animal’s test, the best and most meat, or the quick¬ 
est and most work at the least cost—then show should 
never enter into consideration, only as a desirable appen¬ 
dage, but I fear we all have too much of it in influenc¬ 
ing our judgments. 
“ As to the hardiness of Durham cattle, I will relate 
what I know. You can easily surmise the rigor of 
our climate here in the latitude of 43 degrees—but my 
brother’s cows wintered well on Grand Island the first 
year he had them, on hay alone, and without shelter, 
other than an open shed, for he had just begun his farm¬ 
ing and had no barn. The bull, Leonidas, belonging to 
my father, the two winters he was three and four years 
old, stood at a stack of marsh hay, and no other food 
except what he had out of the horse dung heap—his 
shelter was the lee side of the stack, he never entered a 
stable or slept under cover to my knowledge during this 
time, and never seemed to care for sleet or snow. He 
had a bed high and dry of the same kind of hay that he 
ate. He did not grow much during these winters, but 
came out each time in good condition. The hardiest 
native animals that we have, on the same fare, would 
