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VOLUME I. 



ROCHESTER, JULY 30, 1831. 



NUMBER 30. 



PUBLISHED BY L. TUCKER & CO. 



At the Office of the Daily Advertiser. 

 Terms— $S,50 per annum, or 



$2,00 if paid in advance. 



N. GOODSELL, EDITOR. 



OKRA, TOMATO, AND EGG PLANT. 



Mr. Editor — As you invite information in 

 regard to the culture of okra in our latitude, I 

 take occasion to say, that I have cultivated it six 

 or eight years, with general success, and that I 

 subscribe to your high commendation of it. It is 

 the Hibiscus cscukntus of botany, of the natu- 

 ral order malvacea, a family of plants abounding 

 in mucilage, and showy in the flower border. I 

 have the okra now in blossom, and may expect 

 pods fit for use in ten to fourteen days. I use it 

 principally in soups ; though it affords a nutri- 

 cious and healthy dish for weak and debilitated 

 stomachs when boiled plain and seasoned to the 

 taste. As the plant requires warm weather to 

 bring it forward, it should not be sown in the o- 

 pen ground till late in May. The rule for plan- 

 ting melons, viz : when early planted Indian corn 

 has come up, applies to this and most other tender 

 plants introduced from warmer climates. I plant 

 in a rich loam, rathcrdry, and open to the sun ; and 

 as the plants are liable to be eaten by grubs, 

 I am not sparing of seed. I have this year star- 

 ted the okra, as well as other tender plants, under 

 glass, with little or no bottom heat, and transplan- 

 ted in June. 



While on the subject of rare garden produc- 

 tions, I will mention, that I also cultivate, with 

 success the tomato (Solatium. l/ycopersicum) the 

 Egg-plant (S. mclongcna) and the Benne (Sesa- 

 mum orientile). These were started this year 

 under glass with the okra. I have the first with 

 full grown fruit, the second in bloom, and the 

 third in an advanced state. The tomato, from 

 its anti-bilious properties, is highly conducive to 

 health, and becomes, by a little use, one of the 

 most desirable dishes upon the table. The egg- 

 plant, properly prepared, has a greater affinity, 

 in taste, to the oyster, than any other vegetable I 

 am acquainted with. The purple variety is prin- 

 cipally used for culinary purposes. I have a 

 new variety growing, the seeds of which were 

 brought from Constantinople, by Mr. Rhind. — 

 The Benne is cultivated, by me, for medicinal 

 uses alone ; though at the south its seeds afford 

 an abundance of oil, not .inferior to the finest made 

 from the olive. It is called the oil grain. A leaf 

 of this plant, immersed in a tumbler of water, 

 converts it, in a few moments, into a thin mucil- 

 age, without taste, color or smell, and is readily 

 taken by children and infants. It is found high- 

 ly useful in infantile relax and diarrhea, and in 

 allaying inflamations, of the eye, car, &c. 



Albany, July 16. J. BUEL. 



Note by the Editor. 



We consider the -above communication from 

 Judge Buel, a favor io ourselves and the public. 

 Observations coming from men, who unite theory 

 with practice, are more to be depended upon than 

 the opinions of men, who are acquainted with 

 theory only. From the above, it appears that 

 okra may be cultivated to advantage in this lati- 

 tude,, and from its known reputation in the West 



Indies, and our southern states, as an article of 

 food during warm weather, we hope our garde- 

 ners will be induced to give it a fair trial, A ve- 

 ry celebrated dish, called Gombo, is prepared in 

 those countries where okra is grown, by mixing 

 with the green pods, ripe tomatos, and onions ; 

 all chopped fine, to which are added pepper and 

 salt, and the whole stewed. 



Tomatoes are already cultivated, to considera- 

 ble extent in this section, and seem almost indi- 

 genous to the soil, growing with little trouble 

 but in order to have the benefit of them during the 

 heat of summer, they should be started under 

 glass, and transplanted, when they will ripen 

 their fruit early in August. We have two vari- 

 eties of them, the yellow and red, growing at this 

 time, with fruit full size, and the quantity pro- 

 duced by a single stalk is surprising. We con- 

 sider the yellow as best for pickles, but the red, 

 for eating without cooking, and for making catsup. 

 The taste for tomatoes is rather an acquired one, 

 arising from the beneficial effects of eating, and 

 most people become fond of, after eating them a 

 few times. 



No less than three varieties of the egg-plant 

 are cultivated in the gardens in this vicinity, viz 

 the large round purple, the long purple, and the 

 round white ; the latter variety is considered the 

 most showy, and is more generally cultivated than 

 the other varieties. When started in a hot bed, 

 they produce well. Although they are to be 

 found in many of our gardens yet they are sel- 

 dom met with at any of our public, and very few 

 private tables. This is probably owing to our 

 northern cooks not being acquainted with the best 

 method of preparing this fruit, and Judge Buel 

 would confer a favor on ourselves, as well as our 

 readers, by giving directions for cooking, as they 

 will undoubtedly continue to be raised if only for 

 ornament. 



Buskirk's Bridge, July 6th, 1831. 



To the Editor : — In thie section of country, 

 (the counties of Washington and Rensselaer) an 

 enemy, novel in its character and appearance, threa- 

 tens almost tolal destruction to the wheat crops. 

 Its first appearance in this section to our oldest in- 

 habitants was last season. As near as I can ar- 

 rive at facts relating to it, is that eggs are deposi- 

 ted in the blossom by a black fly about double the 

 size of a common house fly ; they hatch with the 

 formation of the berry, and prey upon its milk ; 

 leaving it as soon as it becomes hard. The in- 

 sects are found in great abundance in almost eve- 

 ry head and kernel ; sometimes as many as ten 

 are found in the husk or cap of one kernel. They 

 destroy some kernels entirely and others partial 

 ly. The crop last year although promising large 

 ly from the growth of straw, was reduced about 

 one half; this year the ravages seem to be grea- 

 ter. 



As I have seen nothing givingany light on this 

 subject, any information through the medium of 

 your useful paper will be very gratifying. 

 Respectfully yours, 



JNO. JAY VIELE. 



Note — This is the communication we alluded 

 to in our last No., and as the insect has not to our 

 knowledge, made its appearance in this section, 



we hope some entomologist, or other person, will 

 give us a particular description of it, for the bene 

 fit of our readers. 



GRAPES. 



As there is already some little excitement a 

 mongst our Agriculturists and Horticulturists, 

 with regard to the cultivation of grapes for wine, 

 and as many of them in this section have never 

 had an opportunity of examining vines of appro 

 ved qualities, when in bearing, we would inform 

 them that there are now a number of vines in thi: 

 village which are loaded with fruit, and which 

 are well worth the trouble of examining by those 

 who may be at this place. In the garden of C 

 M. Lee, Esq. there is a young Isabella vine, hea 

 vily laden. In the adjoining garden belonging tc 

 J. Graves, Esq. one of the same kind, very full of 

 grapes, also some young vines of European vari 

 eties. In the garden of H. B. Williams, an Is- 

 abella vine very full of fruit, also some other 

 vines of different kinds. In the garden of S. P 

 Allcott, Esq. a vine of the Munier, or Miller's 

 Burgundy, an European grape, which endure, 

 our winters perfectly, without covering, very fuli 

 As the Isabella grape has been highly recom- 

 mended for wine, we think those who will ca!' 

 upon the above named gentlemen, can satisfv 

 themselves that they are very great bearers a' 

 least. To see to the quality of fruit you are u 

 bout to cultivate yourself, is better than to trus' 

 to others. 



PEARS. 



As this delicious fruit is beginning to ripen, am', 

 as some varieties are of short duration on accoun' 

 of their rotting at the core, we would recommend 

 to those who have pears, which are subject to thir 

 sudden decay, to pick them from the tree before 

 they become mellow, and place them in a cool, 

 dry place, as in a chamber, where by spreading 

 them, they can be examined more particularly 

 than when on the tree, and those properly matu 

 red, selected for use before they become rotten a', 

 the core, which they will not do, as soon as wher. 

 ripened on the tree. 



STRAWBERRIES. 



We would remind those who wish to cultivat* 

 this fine fruit in their gardens, that the beds ir. 

 which they intend to set them, should be well ma 

 nured, and dug at least one month before planting 

 out the vines, which should be done early in Sep 

 tember, in order that they may take sufficient 

 root to prevent their being thrown out by the frost 

 during the winter or spring. A situation that is 

 rather moist than otherwise, is preferable, and 

 one that is half shaded is better than one expo- 

 sed to the full blaze of a meridian sun. Give the 

 ground deep and repeated spadings, previous tc 

 setting the young plants, which should beat a^dis- 

 tance of from twelve to eighteen inches apart 



RABBITS. 



It has been said that rabbits may be fed tlu'oug!. 

 the summer, with weeds from the garden, and one 

 would judge from the appearance of many of the 

 gardens in this village, that the owners were ma 

 king calculations for raising these animals 



