1847. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
55 
CULTURE OF MADDER—BERKSHIRE HOGS. 
Mr. Luther Tucker —Agreeably to your request. 
I will endeavor to give, through the columns of the 
Cultivator, what I consider to be the best method of 
cultivating and preparing Madder for market. 
In the first place, the land most suitable for its growth, 
is a deep, rich, sand loam—moist, but not wet. A 
light sandy or gravelly soil would not be good, neither 
a stiff clay. It should be planted as early in the spring 
as the land can be conveniently prepared. The land 
should be well plowed, and if not rich, should be made 
so with good barn yard manure or swamp earth. I 
plant in hills, six feet apart one way, and eight the other. 
The bill should be made two feet across at the base, 
and raised one foot high; the seed laid on, and covered 
about two or three inches deep. As soon as it is up, it 
should be carefully hoed and cleared from weeds. After 
it is up about a foot high, the tops fall and spread in all di¬ 
rections over the hill. A light coat of dirt is then thrown 
on, covering all except within four or five inches of the 
ends of the tops, which being so covered become roots, 
which send forth other tops and innumerable small roots 
from the joints of those covered up, and these form in 
the hill a compact mass of roots by the time it is ready 
to harvest. This should be repeated two or three times 
each season for the first three seasons. The last cover¬ 
ing should be about the first of September. There will 
then be time for the tops to send forth shoots to come 
up early in the spring. In this way nearly the whole 
growth of the top is converted into roots. The fourth 
or last season, requires little or nothing to be done.— 
The reason for planting the hills further one way than 
the other, is to give room to drive between the rows 
with a team, as I generally draw on manure and put a 
shovel full on each hill before earthing. The labor of 
forming the hills for the seed, can be performed in a 
great measure with a plow. Earthing the hills is 
done by throwing on to them the earth plowed up be¬ 
tween the hills, with a shovel or spade. This being 
done for three successive seasons, forms a large hill. 
I commence digging about the first of Shptember. 
The tops in the first place are cut off close to the root 
with a sharp hoe. I then plow a deep furrow around 
the hill, picking up what loose roots may turn out— 
then run a furrow through the body of the hill, shaking 
the dirt from the roots with a dung-fork. They are 
then picked apart, taken to a large vat or tub, waishcd, 
put into a kiln and thoroughly dried. I grind it in a 
cast iron mill, constructed upon the principle of a pep¬ 
per mill. It may be ground in a grist mill to advan¬ 
tage, it being necessary to run slower than wiien grind¬ 
ing grain, to prevent heating. An oil mill grinds it well. 
It is then ready for use. 
The quantity of seed to the hill can be judged of by 
the person planting. It takes six bushels to plant an 
acre. I preserve it through the winter by placing it in 
a heap and covering it with earth. I can furnish seed 
to order, from the middle of September to the first of 
May. boxed and delivered at Utica, for $2.50 per bushel. 
It will not be injured if conveyed in the winter, if buried 
immediately in the earth when received. 
I think the rich bottom lands on rivers, that grow 
iheavy crops of corn, word'd be admirably adapted to the 
cultivation of Madder. The amount raised to the acre, 
will depend in a great measure upon the goodness of 
the land and good culture. It is not subject to be de¬ 
stroyed by drouth or frost, or the multitude of enemies 
that assail many of the farmer’s crops. J. Eaton\ 
West-Winfield, N. F., Dec . 18, 1846. 
[In relation to our remarks on Berkshire swine, in thu 
October and November, numbers, we advise our readers 
to compare them with the statements in the following 
communication, and see which wall best “ square” with 
their experience and observation.— Eds.] 
Messrs. Editors —-In the October and November 
numbers of the Cnltivator, I noticed some remarks on 
swine, a part of which do not exactly square with my 
notions on the subject. 
I am one wdio suffered to some extent, by the “ ex¬ 
citement” wilich was got up in relation to Berkshire 
hogs; and having lost by them, I am disposed, as far as 
I can, to save others from a like misfortune. I sus¬ 
tained a considerable loss, in consequence of the prices 
I paid; but a greater, by keeping a worthless animal 
for several years. Having procured this breed of swine 
at a large expense, I was unwilling to give it up without 
a thorough trial; and sol continued to breed and keep 
Berkshires for four or five years, and tried hard to like 
them. 
I think the Berkshires may be good “for supplying 
the market with meat to eat fresh;” but at the same 
time, I consider them less profitable for the farmer to 
raise, even for this purpose, than some other breeds. 
My objections to this breed of swine are not founded, 
on their color. This is all moon-shine. If an animal 
will answer well the purpose for which he is kept, I 
care not whether he be black, wfiiite or “ green.” 
The following are some of my objections to the Berk¬ 
shires. 1. They are generally very small ; though I 
sometimes had, perhaps, one from a litter, that at eigh¬ 
teen months old, w 7 ould weigh from 400 to 500 pounds; 
while the others, at the same age, w'ould not exceed 
200 or 250 pounds. 2. I never found any “ fine delicate 
meat for families,” from them. There is no clear fat meat 
in the hog, and what little fat there is, is soft and oily. 
3. They furnished me but. very little lard. 4. I found 
them grekt eaters. I may be thought heterodox; but I 
had as lief rear and fatten an ordinary hog. w hich at 
eighteen months old, will weigh 400 pounds, as a Berk¬ 
shire, which at the same age, will weigh but 200 
pounds. And indeed, I think there is far less difference 
in the cost of fattening a large hog, and a small one, 
of any breed, than is generally supposed. 
For these and other reasons, “ too numerous to men¬ 
tion,” I consider the Berkshires, the poorest breed of 
swine, that I have ever tried. 
I have now r a breed of w r hite bogs, without a name, 
which I procured by several crosses, which at the same 
aQ-e, will weigh about twice as much as common Berk¬ 
shires, and certainly not at a greater cost of keeping. 
At the same time, the meat is far better. These, at 
eighteen months old, will w’eigh from 400 to 500 pounds. 
I last spring sold six pigs, being all of a litter which 
lived, (a part of the litter died in a cold night) and 
which were dropped on the 22d of March. One of them 
was killed on the 29th day of October, and weighed 315- 
pounds. Two were killed on the 30th of November, 
and weighed, one 320 pounds, and the other 334 pounds. 
A fourth was killed on the 5th of December and weighed 
317 pounds. One was purchased to keep over the win¬ 
ter, dnd from the other I have not heard. I think it 
would not be easy to find four Berkshires, or indeed four 
pigs of any other breed, which at the same age, beat 
these, Respectfully yours, 
Ralph R. Phelps. 
Manchester y Ct., Dec. 1846. 
