68 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
regular. They were plowed once, and the grass and 
weeds afterwards removed with the hoe. In November 
I had them plowed up, and upon gathering them, found 
I had ten bushels; and it is my opinion that if they had 
been picked clean from the land, the yield would have 
reached twelve bushels. The tubers filled all parts of 
the soil, and some of them were two feet long, consisting 
of small bulbs connected by succulent roots. The roots 
are white, and extremely tender, whilst the tubers are 
slightly tinged with red. The roots make the best slips 
for plantingj and if cut up, leaving an eye to each slip, 
they readily vegetate. When it is intended to feed this 
crop to hogs, they require no harvesting, for they readily 
Withstand our mild winters; and if the hogs are turned 
in on them, they usually provide for themselves. For 
calves, sheep and horses, they must be gathered and 
washed, but unlike other roots, they require no cutting 
up. They might be fed to sheep, by merely plowing 
up a few daily, and letting the sheep eat them immedi¬ 
ately from the ground. In consuming this crop, the 
hogs give the ground a thorough plowing, and by turn¬ 
ing under the stalks and leaves, they add much to the soil. 
Some have asserted that it is an exhausting crop, but 
from the genus of the plant, I infer it is not. The leaves 
are large, and the stalks are crowned with beautiful yel¬ 
low flowers. 
I shall plant them at the rate of three bushels to the 
acre next year. I think that quantity sufficient. They 
grow here on all dry soils, but will not succeed well on 
damp locations. Very respectfully, A. G. Summer. 
Pomaria, S. C., Dec. 1, 1844. 
PRODUCTS OF THE DAIRY. 
Our article in the January paper having introduced 
this subject to the readers of the Cultivator, we shall now 
proceed to give some statistics relative to the quantity 
manufactured, and endeavor to show that the market 
which is now opened to our cheese in foreign countries 
offers great inducements to our dairymen not only to con¬ 
tinue in the business, but to improve the quality of the 
article until it will be sought for in all foreign markets 
as well as in our own country. The census of 1840 
gives the aggregate value of butter and cheese manufac¬ 
tured in every town in the United States. From the 
statistics thus gathered much valuable information may 
be obtained, although, if the number of pounds of each 
had been given, we might have arrived much nearer to 
correctness, as the price in different parts of the union 
differs materially. We doubt also whether entire confi¬ 
dence can be placed in the correctness of the census, al¬ 
though it may approximate as near correctness as any in¬ 
formation within our reach. The amount at which the 
products of the dairy were valued in 1839, in the State of 
New-York, was $10,496,021 New-Hampshire, $1,638,543 
Ohio. 1,848,869 Massachusetts, 2,373,299 
Pennsylvania, 3,152,987 Connecticut, 1,376,534 
Maine, 1,496,902 Vermont, 2,008,737 
New-Jersey, 1,328,032 
The quantity made in the southern and western states 
is comparatively small. Virginia however shows an ag¬ 
gregate of $1,848,869. The aggregate value of the pro¬ 
ducts of the dairy in the entire union is put down at the 
round sum of $33,787,008. The quantity of butter and 
cheese made in Ohio has greatly increased since 1840. 
Indeed without any evidence before us we should pre¬ 
sume that the amount sent to market from that state has 
doubled in the last five years, while the quality has 
greatly improved. A correspondent in the city of New- 
York, largely engaged in the produce business and well 
qualified to judge upon these subjects, says ,— e( As to the 
quality of butter and cheese made in Ohio, it is rapidly 
increasing and greatly improving in quality, and I think 
bids fair to go ahead even of the Empire State in quanti¬ 
ty manufactured. It will not be long before they will 
match us in quality. A large amount of the butter and 
cheese made in Ohio goes south and west, which is so 
far favorable for that made in our own State.” That 
Ohio is to be one of the most important States in the 
Union in her dairy products as well as in every thing 
else which pertains to the agriculture of the northern 
States, there can be little doubt. 
The State of New-York must, however, continue to 
furnish immense quantities of dairy products, and as we 
remarked in a former article, “ the central and northern 
parts of this State must constitute the dairy district, from 
whence must be derived a very great proportion of the but¬ 
ter and cheese used in otir large cities, and which is 
needed for shipment to Europe.” 
Gf the ten and a half millions of dollars worth of 
dairy products in the State of New-York in 1839, more 
than three millions worth was produced in the eight 
counties of Oneida, Jefferson, Herkimer, Oswego, Madi¬ 
son, Otsego, St. Lawrence and Lewis. Chenango, Cort¬ 
land, Onondaga, Steuben, &c. also produced large quan¬ 
tities. Orange, Duchess, Delaware, and other river 
counties produce large quantities, but as we have before 
remarked, a very great proportion of this is sent to mar¬ 
ket in small kegs, pails, &c. to supply the summer de¬ 
mand. That from the other counties named, as well as 
from the westerp States, is relied on for a winter supply. 
The amount of butter, lard and cheese which arrived 
at tide water through the New-York canals in the several 
years, since 1841, is as follows : The butter and lard 
having been kept in the same account, we are unable to 
get at the exact amount of each. 
1841. 1842. 1843. 1844. 
Butter and lard, lbs. 16,157,653 19,182,930 24,215,700 22,202,700 
Cheese, lbs. 14,171,081 19,004,613 24,336,260 26,598,300 
This table shows a constant increase in the quantity of 
butter and lard until the present year. This year, how¬ 
ever shows a falling off in these articles, which may be 
attributed partly to the fact that the great increase in cheese 
has caused a corresponding decrease in butter, and in 
part to the limited amount of lard sent to market the pre¬ 
sent year. The increase in cheese is very great, being 
nearly double the amount in 1844, which was sent to 
market in 1841. 
To show the increase and the relative proportions of 
butter and cheese, we give the amount of each shipped 
from this place (Rome, Oneida co.) in four years, with 
the average price in each year 
Butter. 
Cheese. 
1S41 
1,411,266 lbs. 
15 cts. 
1,532,196 
5 cts. 
1842 
1,625,069 “ 
10 
2,192,753 
5* 
1843 
1,486,044 “ 
9 
2,795,489 
5 
1844 
1,914,735 “ 
11 
3,151,431 
5 
At Utica the amount cleared is probably about equal to 
the amount shipped here, and at Little Falls large quan¬ 
tities are also shipped. At Sacket’s Harbor, Oswego, 
and several other points on the lakes, and also at many 
other places on the Erie and other canals, considerable 
quantities are also annually shipped. 
It will be noticed by an examination of the above ta¬ 
ble that the increase in the quantity of cheese is far 
greater than the increase of butter. This is accounted 
for by the foreign demand which has sprung up during 
the last few years. The success of experiments in ship¬ 
ping to Europe has directed public attention to the ad¬ 
vantages of a foreign market for the surplus produce of 
our dairies, and more care has been bestowed upon the 
manufacture of cheese, especially in large dairies. Cir¬ 
culars, addressed to dairymen by shippers and other 
dealers, giving directions for the modes of manufacture, 
and the size and shape of the cheese, &c., had the effect 
to arouse attention and encourage investigation, until 
many of our cheese makers now are as familiar with the 
method of manufacture required for the English market 
as our own. 
From “ Wilmer & Smith’s European Times,” (publish, 
ed in Liverpool) of Dec. 4th, we extract the following 
remarks: “ The imports of cheese have been large dur¬ 
ing the month, and both as regards their condition on ar¬ 
rival, and the general quality and selections of the ship¬ 
ments, are proving decidedly superior to those of last 
season. Their sale is consequently much facilitated, and 
we have every prospect of a large and steady trade in the 
article during the winter. The demand in the past month 
was large, increasing towards the close in consequence 
of the advanced rates obtained at the Chester and other 
cheese fairs; a corresponding advance cannot be secured 
in America: but we quote the market fully 2s. to 3s. 
higher for all qnalities, and with a firm tone on the pari 
of the holders. A higher range of prices than usual is ex- 
