1848. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
27 
fitted in the way of manure, I was determined not to 
be beaten by the worms if hard fighting would do any 
good. The remainder of the field, left in grass, seemed 
to be full of these worms, as I ascertained by striking 
in the hoe in a number of places; and I supposed at 
the time that the crop of grass would be materially 
injured by them. On the contrary I could not discover 
that it was, the swaths being stout and heavy at mow¬ 
ing time. 
1 have taken the precaution to plow the remainder 
of this field nine inches deep this present month, and 
fully expect by this means to save myself from a like 
mishap next spring. F. Holbrook. Brattleboro, Ft., 
Nov. 15, 1847. _ 
Culture of Madder. 
Having heretofore presented to the public, the way 
to plant and cultivate madder, I have thought best to 
give, as near as I could ascertain, the expense of 
raising and fitting for market one acre of madder:— 
Cost of the seed, which is the upper part of the root, would be, $15 00 
Plowing and planting,. 5 00 
Tilling each season, $5 for each season,.. 15 00 
Digging one acre.. 20 00 
Washing, drying, and grinding,. 25 00 
Interest on the land, $7 per year, four years,. 28 00 
An acre of Madder, planted in the old way, would 
yield at four years’ old, from four to five thousand 
lbs. of merchantable madder, which, at $16 p’er hun¬ 
dred, would amount to from six to eight hundred dol¬ 
lars. 
I have one acre planted on raised hills, as recom¬ 
mended in the February number of the Cultivator, 
800 hills to the acre. I dug one hill of the piece this 
fall, an average hill, which had been planted 17 months 
or two seasons; the roots obtained from this hill, after 
having been washed clean, and the water dried off, 
weighed 17 lbs., which, allowing 5 lbs. of green roots 
to make 1 lb. of ground madder, the above would, if 
dug this fall, yield 2,720 lbs. of ground madder, which, 
at $16 per cwt., would bring $435.20. Madder plant¬ 
ed the old way generally gains 100 per cent, the third 
season, which, if the above-named acre should do, it 
would next fall yield 5,440 lbs. of ground madder. The 
fourth season it has generally gained 60 per cent, 
when planted the old way. 
I am much pleased with the new method of planting 
with raised hills. I have no doubt but more madder 
can be raised by this method of planting in three years, 
than by the old method in four, from the same ground. 
If any gentlemen interested in the madder business 
(should doubt my statements, or would like to obtain 
information respecting the business,) will call on me, 
I will satisfy them of their correctness, and give them 
any information necessary for the cultivation and pre¬ 
paration of madder for market. 
You may expect to hear from me once a year about 
the madder business, if my hand is able to write. 
James Eaton. West Winfield, Herk. Co., Y. Y., 
Oct. 13, 1847. 
Making Shingles by Machinery. 
A correspondent with the signature of u Reader,” 
writes us from Kent, Conn., in regard to a process of 
making shingles by machinery. He states that by the 
mode which he describes, timber which was formerly 
thrown away as too winding for making shingles by 
the old process of riving, can be worked up almost as 
well as straight-grained timber. The first thing is to 
construct a vat for the purpose of boiling or steaming 
the blocks, which are previously sawed the length re¬ 
quired for the shingles, .and quartered. 11 Let the 
blocks be thoroughly steamed or boiled through by 
means of flues which should be placed in position to 
heat the water in the quickest manner.” The appa¬ 
ratus for cutting is described as follows: 
u The machine for cutting is of simple structure, 
easy to be kept in repair, and requires but a moderate 
horse or water power to work it. It consists of a gate 
of cast iron weighing about 100 lbs., to which two 
knives are attached in such a manner that two shingles 
are produced by each descending motion of the gate, 
which slides in vertical grooves. Each shingle is pro¬ 
duced in as perfect a form as can be made, being joint¬ 
ed at the same time they are cut, and the edges made 
parallel No inconvenience arises in laying the shin¬ 
gles on a roof—they do not run, as it is called, and 
they are free from shakes and splits. The smoothness 
of surface is another item which makes them superior 
to sawed shingles for carrying off water. The process 
of steaming improves the texture of the timber, and 
when the shingles become dry, the wood is more com¬ 
pact than if seasoned in the ordinary way. In the old 
method, one-half at least, of a good shingle tree was 
thrown away as useless, or only to be used as firewood; 
by the improved process, double the amount of shingles 
are produced, and at a great saving of expense. The 
expense of the machine is about $50.” 
We understand that further particulars can be learned 
by application to Eben S. Peters, Kent, Litchfield 
county, Connecticut. 
Sheep—Weight of Fleece at Different Ages. 
Will some one give information as to the usual dif¬ 
ference in weight between the fleeces of old and young 
sheep. I have kept an account of the weight of the 
fleece of one Merino ewe, for seven years. The re¬ 
sult is as follows: At one year old, she gave 4 lbs. 8 
oz.; at two years old, 4 lbs. 13 oz.; at three years, 
5 lbs.; at four years, 4 lbs. 12 oz.; at five years, 4 lbs. 
6 oz.; at six years, 3 lbs. 13 oz.; and at 7 years, 
3 lbs. 3 oz. The average result from a number of 
sheep might be quite different. But should it be simi¬ 
lar to the above, it would seem unprofitable to keep 
sheep longer than until four or five years old, except 
perhaps individuals of superior excellence, as the wool 
degenerates in quality as well as quantity. H. C. B. 
Otsego Co., 1847. 
Construction of Ice Houses. 
Having in the course of thirty years had more or less 
acquaintance with iee-houses, I propose to make some 
remarks, through the medium of the Cultivator, in re¬ 
gard to their construction. I am led to do so at this 
time by an article with plans, &c., in your November 
number. 
I have known many plans for ice-houses, varying in 
expense from a sum that would build a comfortable 
farm-cottage down to, and seldom less than fifty dol¬ 
lars. When my father removed to this country, about 
forty years ago, he found an ice house upon the place. 
It was built, or rather dug out ot a side-hill. It was a 
hole eight feet square and sixteen feet deep, in gravel 
and sand. The sides were planked up and kept in 
their places by three cross-planks or batteries, one at 
bottom, another at top, and one half-way between the 
others. These cross-planks kept the sides from falling 
in. The roof was formed of joist, setting on two sides 
of the pit, at the surface of the ground, and meeting 
at the top. These were roughly cross boarded, and 
over all was a thick covering of thatch. The gables 
were boarded up with about as much care as is taken 
in boarding ordinary barns, leaving a hole five or six 
inches in diameter in each end. When this place was 
to be filled with ice, a thick bed of clean straw was 
laid over the bottom, and bunches of straw were open= 
ed and placed around against the sides. As the ice 
