THE CULTIVATOR. 
225 
associations which attend, and at the same time promote 
civilization. A Backwoodsman. 
SYMPHYTUM, OR COMFREY, AS FOOD FOR MEN 
AND CATTLE. 
Messrs. Editors —A hasty and partial description of 
this vegetable, was circulated by many papers in the 
autumn of 1842. I wish now for the public benefit, toj 
exhibit more fully what I know, and what I believe on the 
subject. 
The botanic name of this plant is Symphytum, a word of 
Greek origin, signifying springing forth in company, which 
is descriptive of its growth, both root and herb; but not of 
its nature. The word officinale is sometimes added in 
books, signifying that a species or preparation of it, has 
somewhere, or at some time, been kept for sale in the 
shops of the apothecary. It is perennial; but how 
long I do not exactly know; but, perhaps, till the ground 
near, is filled and choaked with roots, It will then die, 
and afford the soil an abundant and rich manure. It is 
very hardy and vigorous; never, to my knowledge, in¬ 
jured by frost, drouth, vermin or insect; of course the 
crop is very sure. Various species of it grow in an un¬ 
cultivated state in some foreign countries. Of late I have 
been informed, by good authority, that it is a native of 
this country, and found wild in various places on conge¬ 
nial soil, near runs, in unimproved mountains and woody 
lands; especially in the vicinity of Williams College, 
Mass., and in some places in the neighboring States, 
Vermont and New York. The green leaves are often 
used as pot-herbs. It is found in many New England 
gardens by single root, and used much in syrups to nou¬ 
rish the feeble, and parry off consumptions. The liquor, 
produced by boiling the dried leaves, is of a dark color, 
moderately tonic, restringent and exhilarating, much like 
the black tea, but more nutritious; of course, a very good 
substitute for people who will still use hot and exciting 
drinks. The root, cleaned, broken, dried and ground in 
a coffee or corn-mill, is a very mucilaginous and nutri- 
cious flour; resembling slippery-elm, oat-meal, arrow- 
root and sago. It has much the appearance in various 
respects of good, lightcolored rye-meal, and is peculiarly 
easy of digestion. A lady who could keep no other food 
on her stomach, was sustained three months on pudding 
of comfrey flour, made by pounding the dried roots in a 
mortar. Another, whose voice failed by disease, had it 
soon restored by the green root cut and simmered with 
molasses. Many years ago, I began to chew the root for 
cough and the good of my lungs, in my much public 
speaking, during the cold winters in the mountainous re¬ 
gions of New Hampshire. I pounded some fine for por¬ 
ridge and liked it well. Afterwards, at two different 
times, I had 4 lbs. ground at a corn-mill, to use with 
other flour or meal in gruel for family cokls, coughs, 
and bowel complaints; and to give to neighbors for vari¬ 
ous diseases, especially of the lungs and bowels. As 
food, it operates slowly but powerfully, against the more 
common chronic complaints. It makes a very confort- 
mg and healing poultice for external bruises, wounds 
and sores. It is my belief that, if used freely with other 
articles of diet, it would have a strong tendency to pre¬ 
vent, not only coughs, consumptions, dyspepsy, diarrhoea, 
and costiveness; but also rheumatism, cramp, contractions 
of the muscles, sinews and cartilages; and also, many of 
the sore and destructive consequences of using ardent 
spirits, tight-lacing, hot drinks, over eating, over work¬ 
ing, &c., and many other means of self-destruction, prac¬ 
ticed by many people. Should the taste at first be in any 
degree unpleasant to any, like almost any kind of new 
food, then let a trifle of some pleasant condiment, slightly 
vary ing the taste, be intermixed, till by use, it shall itself 
become pleasant, as it did to myself. It is very easily 
cooked, requiring only a little scalding or baking. I 
often put a spoonful or two, into my dish of milk, ami 
liked it well, with no other cooking. People may cook 
this, as they do other articles of food, according to conve¬ 
nience or fancy. I would recommend to use about one- 
fourth part of comfrey meal, with three-fourths of wheat, 
Indian, barley and buck-wheat, for bread, pastry, wafers 
or dough-nuts, and a larger portion for gruel or porridge. 
or soups, or griddles, cw puddings; but not with rye. With 
the other ingredients, you may use it for custards instead 
of eggs, probably to great advantage. What portion is 
soluble and nutritious matter, I have not ascertained, but 
think it about equal to that of rice, which is said to be 
about 90 per cent. I would now for mixing with my 
own food, gladly exchange two pounds of good wheat 
flour for one of comfrey-meal. It has not, to my know¬ 
ledge, been cultivated as common aliment for man or 
beast, till done by myself. But it will probably yet prove 
one of the best and cheapest articles of healthful diet, now 
known; not outdone by the potatoe or Indian corn. It 
would be well for any who have ground, to go consider¬ 
ably into the cultivation of it, for experiment and profit, 
by root and herb, and to keep on hand some of the root, 
hay and meal, to show as specimens. Any arable soil 
will, especially that rather moist and warm, produce a 
crop according to its strength. Its blossoms afford ex¬ 
cellent stock for honey. Its top seed is not abundant, 
and is gathered but slowly. It will produce a good or 
full crop much sooner by the caps of the roots, cut or 
broken from one to two inches below the place whence 
the tops proceed, planted about even with the surface of 
the ground, 8 or 10 inches apart, than by the natural seed. 
I think the best time to dig and replant is about the time 
of early plowing in spring; that the said root-seed might 
be well preserved through winter in a cellar, for planting 
in spring; and that by properly dividing the said caps, 
and by strict economy, double Ihe quantity of ground dug 
over, may be replanted by the seed produced—you may 
dig annually. But the roots will be small, and the tops 
light. It takes two or three years for the ground to be 
well filled with roots. Which of these terms would be 
the most economical, and whether cutting the tops for 
hay, has any effect on the growth of the root, I have not 
yet ascertained. I have quit tilling the soil altogether. 
I cannot therefore give results of late experiments of my 
own, nor supply others with seed, as requested. What 
are its qualities for fattening domestic animals, whether 
by herb, green, or dry, or by root, green or dried, and 
ground, I know not; but presume good. Wash the roots 
soon after dug, break them shortish, spread them thin 
under cover, and without farther attention and without 
injury, it will become dry enough to be ground in a cof¬ 
fee or corn-mill. If you find difficulty in drying the tops, 
or any other herbage, for hay, without wetting or crumb¬ 
ling, heating or rotting; then, after drying by sun as 
much as convenient, put such herbage, whether comfrey, 
turnep, beet, or cabbage leaves, or potato tops, or clover, 
or weeds, or any other succulent herbs, into small piles 
or stacks of 40 to 100 lbs. each, according to the then 
stage of drying; and, if occasion require, before stowing 
it in the barn, pitch it over lightly, each into another, put¬ 
ting top for bottom; and then let them remain out, till 
sufficiently dry for preservation. 
Allow me in this connection to suggest to all econom¬ 
ical farmers, the expediency of having on hand a suffi¬ 
cient number of caps for such piles, made umbrella-like 
of coarse shirting, of 1^ yard each, cut in two square 
pieces, and then diagonally, and sewed together with 
preparation for about four weights to be hung at the bot¬ 
tom of each, to keep it in place at time of wind. These 
would cost but about twelve, cents apiece, would, with 
due care, last many years, and be immediately beneficial by 
the farmer's convenience, the saving of his labor and the 
quality and the quantity of his hay. 
If I have erred in any thing in relation to this article, 
I wish to be corrected by any candid and faithful physi¬ 
cian, chemist, or dietetic philosophers; for I wish to 
deceive none on the subject. 
I will now state some facts with regard to the produc¬ 
tion of symphytum, root and herb. April 1841, I dug 
from 18 square feet of ground of moderately good tilth or 
heart, besides the said seed caps, one large bushel of 
green root of two years growth. In this proportion an 
acre would yield 2420 bushels. This when washed, dried 
and ground weighed ten pounds; which would be 24,200 
lbs. the acre. About 8 pounds of the meal I used the 
following winter, in my own food, and was by no means 
glad when it was gone. As to the herb for hay. At two 
cuttings on 15 square feet of soil, in 1842, the second 
