GARDEN VEGETABLES — OKRA. 



number of other very flourishing young plants of Conifers in the grounds. 

 London Florist. 



[The Abies Pinsapo is very striking and handsome for a stifif tree, and is some- 

 what lilve the Silver Firs, only its leaves are curiously recurved, having the begin- 

 ning of a resemblance to the Araucaria. The specimen at Wodenethe, we find 

 by our memoranda, is six feet high, and perfectly hardy. — Ed.] 



GARDEN VEGETABLES, XO. G. — OKRA." 



BY WILLIAM CHORLTON. 



This plant is the Hihiscus esculentns of botanists, and one of the natural order 

 Malvac(i<B, the whole of which are more or less mucilaginous. Okra in particular 

 owes its culinary importance to the abundance of the aforesaid property. It is a 

 valuable emollient and demulcent, is constantly used in the tropics for thickening 

 soup, and is now becoming quite popular in our own country for the same pur- 

 pose. A bowl of good Ohra, Sendee, or Gombo soup (it is known by each of 

 these three names in different countries), is indeed a great luxury, and acts 

 medicinally by allaying irritation of the digestive organs when subject to inflam- 

 mation. There is little doubt but, during hot weather, when these disorders are so 

 prevalent, that this is one of the most wholesome kinds of food, and we never find 

 any person who does not relish it after having once become acquainted with the 

 article. 



Being a native of the West Indies, and constitutionally a tropical plant, the 

 soil is required to be somewhat warmed by the sun's influence before the seeds are 

 sown, or they will rot in the ground. For extreme northern latitudes the latter 

 part of May is soon enough, while in the Middle States it may be two weeks 

 earlier, and proportionately more so farther south. Okra will grow in almost 

 .any kind of soil if well drained, but does not succeed upon a wet cold bottom ; 

 the best is a fertile sandy, but not over rich loam. Rank or fresh manure causes 

 the plant to grow too luxuriantly, and reduces the comparative yield of pods. In 

 very rich soils the stalks will extend to six feet high with numerous side branches, 

 and will be later in beginning to produce, while in poor ground they will attain 

 to no more than three feet, and commence to flower when only a few inches high. 

 In the former case the rows may be four feet apart, and in the latter, three feet 

 will be amply sufficient. Draw drills one inch deep, sow the seeds three inches 

 distant, and, when the young plants have grown three or four inches, thin out to 

 eight or ten inches ; at the same time hoe up some soil to the stems, which will 

 encourage the advancing development. 



The young seed-pods are the only portions made use of; they are in a Gt state 

 for gathering when grown to about half their size, and still brittle. If left on the 

 plant longer they soon become tough and stringy, and are then of no value. As 

 the pods are produced in quick succession throughout the season, and as also, if 

 they be left ungathered, the plants would sooner become exhausted, it is necessary 

 to go over the crop every three days, cut oQ" all that are ready, and what are not 

 wanted for immediate use should be cut transversely into thin slices, and dried for 

 winter use. During the drying process it is requisite to keep them in a situation 

 where the moisture can evaporate freely and soon, and also to be spread out thinly. 

 They may be exposed to the sun during favorable weather in the day time, but 

 taken in at night ; or they may be laid near a fire until Gt to be packed away ; 

 l)efore doing so, however, all the moisture should be dissipated, or they will 

 become mouldy and worthless after a time. 



