^793* hints respecting domestic ectnomy. 1^79 



Hints respecting various plants that may be useful in 



DOMESTIC ECONOMY, BY ArCTICUS 



Sir, To the Editor of the Bee 



I PI.OPOSE dedicating this letter, to the queries in your 

 last letter with some miscellaneous hints on plants 

 that may be cultivated with advantage in Great Britain, 

 or which at least merit a fair trial. 



Polygonum Tataricum. 



First, The species of wild Siberian buck wheat, which 

 you inquire after with so much anxiety, from having 

 been told of its being perennial, and a promising fodder for 

 cattle, is the polygonum Tataricum of Linnseus, called by 

 the Rufsians kirltk, and the Tartars dtkuschka. 



It grows wild in several parts of Siberia ; and in some 

 is cultivated, as it remains several years in the ground 

 ■without labour or expence. So far is certainly true ; but 

 still I cannot take upon me to say that it is a perennial 

 plant, but on the contrary suspect its being an annual. 



This apparent paradox may be explained in the follow- 

 ing manner, and I suppose will be found to be the real 

 fact j that as the seeds of this polygonum ripen very 'une- 

 qually, those first come to maturity, are fliaken out with 

 the wind, before what may be called the latter crop, is 

 reaped, so as to reproduce the grain for several years 

 without fre(h sowing, although it gradually thins, till it 

 totally disappears, if cut down yearly. 



The Siberians gather in the grain as an article of food, 

 prepared in the following manner. They roast it a little 

 in an iron pan, after swelling it by steeping in cold wa- 

 ter ; a double operation which makes the hufks separate 

 readily during the grinding in their wooden mortars, 

 Tfluch arc more common than mills. The grain thus 



