Vol. IX.— No. 47. 



AND HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



371 



11 o r t i c 11 1 t II r c 



'rocecilings of the .^[assllchusctts Horticultural 



Socicli/ at the second ipiarterbj meeting, held at 



the Hull of the Institution on the -ith of June, 



1S31. 



Report uiaile by II. .\. S. DcinDonM, rrosident nf ilie Socicly. 



A few weelis since, Gideon 15. Sriii'.li, Esq., 



ilitor of the American Farmer, piihlislied in 



altimorc, presenteil flie Society, a niimher of the 



bers of the Aracncha ; another citizen of that 



ty has evinced his laudalde zeal for the advance- 



ent of rural economy, throiigliout the Union, by 



donation of the seed of the Cheropodintn Ciuinoa 



d seeds of several varieties of grapes. The follow- 



letter accompanied the package. 



Biiltiranrc, Jlay 24, 1831. 

 Dear Sir — 15y the hrig Chatham, I send to 

 ur address, fur the Massachusetts Horticultural 

 ciely, a small package containing as follows, 



One paper Lenoir Grape seed. 

 One do llerhemont's Madeira do. 

 One do mixed Grape seed, viz. Uland's 

 Madeira, Isahella, and Herbemont's 

 Arena ; and 

 Dne do of Chenopodlum Quinoa seed, 

 riie Grape seeds were sent to me by that ex- 

 lent horticulturist, N. Herbeinont, Esq. of Co- 

 ibia, S. C and the object expected to be attain- 

 by their distribution and planting, is the pro- 

 tion of new and valuable varieties of grapes, 

 able of withstanding the rigidity of our various 

 lates. 



^he Chenopodium Quinoa was received from 

 J by J. S. Skinner, Esq. from Lieut. Fitzhugh 

 +ie U. S. Navy ; an accoimt of this grain will be 

 id in the 10th number, vol. 13, of the Ameri- 

 Fariner. It is presented to the Massachusetts 

 ticultural Society in the name of J. S. Skin- 

 vvho requests their acceptance of it. If we 

 eed in cultivating this grain, it will be one of 

 most important additions to our agricultural 

 lucts ever made in any country. 

 am, respectfully yours, 



Gideon B. Smith. 

 S. Since writing the above, the Quinoa has 

 tated and grows rapidly. Planted on Friday, 

 May, come up Friday, 20th, and on Sunday, 

 many plants had their second leaf formed. 



:t from the American Fanner, on Uie character and cullnre 

 of auinoa. 



ciNOA. — The letter below from Lieutenant 



lugh of the United States navy, accompanied 



(uinoa, the receipt of which we noticed last 



;, and together with the subjoined direction 



jltivating the quinoa from the same gentleman, 



)een politely furnished for publication in the 



ler by IMr Skinner, to whom the quinoa was 



from Peru. 



e have e.xamined all the publications in which 



ould hope to get any information on the sub. 



|if the quinoa, and have satisfied ourselves on 



jbject of its botanical character. In Peru it 



led quinua, pronounced keen-iva, with the last 



)le very slightly accented. Humboldt speaks 



e chenopodium quinoa as being one of the 



lants cultivated in the highest and coldest 



IS of the Andes and Mexican Cordilleras ; 



ays that when the old historians use the ex- 



on small Peruvian rice (arros pequeno,) they 



the chenopodium quinoa. Don UUoa also 



speaks of quinoa being iicculiHr to (ho ])rovinco 

 ol' Quito, and as deserving of being ranked as 

 one of the most jjalatable foods. These authori- 

 ties, supported as they are by the name by which 

 the seed in question is called by the natives and 

 residents of Peru at the |)reseiit time, suflicienily 

 establish the fact that it is the chenopodium qiiinoa, 

 of botanists. There are a great many varieties of 

 Chenopodium, several of which are very common, 

 (mere weeds) and the whole genus is called goose- 

 foot, in England — for instance, English mercury, 

 upright ^oosefoot, purple goosefoot, &c. Several 

 of the species arc indigenous to the United States, 

 viz. the nnthelminlicum or worm seed, the spear 

 leafed, the bearded, &c. But the quinoa, the one 

 particularly under notice, is the only one of the 

 genus that is indigenous to Peru. 



It is annual, grows three feet high, flowers in 

 July, flowers green, propagated by seed, in common 

 earth. The seed are circular, flat, one twelfth of 

 an inch in diameter, white, and easily pulverised. 

 It belongs to the 5th class, Pentandria, and 2nd 

 order, Digynia. 



The quinoa is cooked and used like common 

 rice and hence the name sometimes given it of 

 Pertirian rice. Capt. Dungan, in whose vessel the 

 seeds were sent, politely presented the Editor with 

 some of the prepared seed for his table. It seems 

 that the quinoa is scalded or part boiled, before it 

 is disposed of by the cultivator, whether for the 

 purpo-e of its better preservation or to prevent its 

 cultivation in other countries we know not; and to 

 this fact is probably to be attributed the failure of 

 all previous attempts to cultivate it. Havino- eaten 

 of the quinoa, prepared in several ways, we are of 

 course enabled to speak of its qualities from expe- 

 rience. Gentlemen who have eaten it in Peru 

 speak of it in the highest terms of praise. We 

 are not willing to go so far, though it rnay improve 

 with us upon further acquaintance. It is certainly 

 of a very pleasant flavor, but that is peculiar — 

 unlike that of common rice, and resembling that of 

 oatmeal. Its appearance when served up is sin- 

 gular. The grain is principally composed of a 

 germ, or sprout of the young plant, closelv coiled, 

 and surrounded witli farina. In boiling, this spiral 

 germ is detached, and the dish presents the ap- 

 pearance of being full of skippers, something simi- 

 lar to a dish of boiled beans. Our present impres- 

 sion is, that though it may attain an equal place 

 with rice, it never can supersede that excellent 

 vegetable on our tables. 



The Editor of the Farmer has planted a quart 

 of the seed of the quinoa, and taken such mea- 

 sures and resorted to such means to insure its 

 growth as he supposes will be successful so far 

 as soil and cultivation are concerned. He is not 

 however, very sanguine in his expectations. The 

 climate of Peru is very different from ours, the for- 

 mer beingvery temperate and subject to no change 

 of the seasons ; therefore, we have our extremely 

 hot and dry weather, and the comparative short- 

 ness of our seasons, as obstacles to success in the 

 culture of the quinoa. And yet it is very possible 

 that it will withstand all this, and if so, it will be an 

 important agricultural acquisition. It will be ob- 

 served, that the subjoined directions say it is to 

 be sown at the same season and gathered at the 

 same time as wheat. It should however be re- 

 collected that there is no winter in Peru, and of 

 course no fall sowing of wheat to withstand its 

 rigors. If it succeeds with us at all it must be 

 sown in the spring and gathered in the fall, for it 



is not believed that it can bear our winters like 



wheat. 



,„„ „ U.S. g. St Louis, Callan Roads, ) 



J. H.SKtNMcn, 1,8(1. Jiin. ai, 18:il. j 



Hear .Sic— I have at length the pleasure of send- 

 ing you by the James Beacham, two bottles of Qui- 

 nar, whicli after much inquiry and research, on the 

 Ijart of my friend Mr McCall, of Lima, has come 

 Ibrth, it was obtained two hundred miles from this. 

 Inclosed you will receive a description of its cultiva- 

 tion, curing, and preparation for culinary purposes. 

 Truly yours, And. Fitzuuuh. 



Description of the Matmer of Soieing in Peru the 

 Grain laioum under the name (f- (luinua.' 

 It should be sown in soil and climate not of too 

 cold a temperature for wheat, neither should it be 

 what would be called warm. It is sown at llie same 

 season and g;athered at the same time as wheat. 

 The ground is prepared in furrows, twice ploun-hed 

 with Peruvian ploughs, (which are nothing more 

 than wooden knees pointed at the end,) and the seed 

 is sown, scattered as wheat. When ripe, (to save 

 waste, as the grain shells ofi" very easily) it is cut 

 carefully and gathered in on folds of cotton or linen 

 loth, of a texture not sufliciently coarse to allow 

 the grain to pass through. The grain is separated 

 from the stalk by merely rubbing it between two 

 folds of cotton or linen cloth, and the chafli" is after- 

 wards winnowed from it. 



Besides being cultivated as a cereal plant, for 

 the grain, it is valuable as a green culinary vegeta- 

 ble, the leaves being eaten in Peru, as a substitute 

 for spinach and sorrel. 



Resolved, that the thanks of the Society be 

 presented to J. S. Skinner, Esq. for his donation 

 of Quinoa and Grape seeds. 



The President having stated what measures had 

 been taken by the Committee, which was appoint- 

 ed last autuinii, to take into consideration, the 

 expediency of establishing a Horticultural Garden 

 of Experiment and a Rural Cemetery, offered 

 the following resolution, which was adopted. 



Resolved, that the Committee on an Experi- 

 mental Garden and a Cemetery, be authorized to 

 increase their number, and to ask the aid of such 

 other gentlemen, not members of the Society, as 

 in their opinion will forward the objects desired 

 by being associated with them. 



The following Committee was appointed to 

 nominate a gentleman to deliver the next anni- 

 versary Address, and to report at the adjourned 

 meeting of the Society. 



Z. Cook, Jr. 



G. W. Brimmer, )• Committee. 



G. W. Pratt, 



William Curtis of Newton was elected a mem- 

 ber ; Dr Thaddeus 11. Harris of Dorchester, a 

 corresponding member. 



Adjourned to Saturday next, 10 o'clock. 



Messrs Wiuships exhibited a beautiful bouquet 

 of Scotch Roses comprising fiftyfive varieties, of 

 great fragrance and delicate colors. — Elegant bou- 

 quets of Roses, Geraniums, Native Wild Flowers, 

 Cactus, Si.c, were exhibited by Gen. Dearborn, Mr 

 Hovey of Cambridgeport, Mr Ilaggerston, and Mr 

 Russell of Cambridge. — Mr Phippsof Charlestovvn 

 exhibited a flue collection of Moss Roses, that 

 excited universal admiration. 



Early Peas and Mushrooms were exhibited by 

 Mr Davenjiort of Miltnn. 



Seeds of the Studley Carrot were jiresented by 

 Messrs Thorburn and Sons of Nevy York for dis- 

 tribution. This is a valuable variety of this root, 

 suitable for field culture for cattle, and introduced 

 by them from Scotland. 



HER, \ 



