260 



THE GENESEE FARMER 



August 20, 1831 



COMMUNICATIONS. 



Charleston, (S. C.) July 25th, 1831. 



Dear Sir: — Yesterday I received the 27th 

 So. of the Genesee Farmer, which is the only 

 one I have seen since the 25th No., the others not 

 •laving reached this plare. In tins number you 

 republish some remarks of mine on the culture of 

 the okra, and requested that I wonld give " di- 

 rections for cooking okra, as practiced by the 

 people at the south." With this I mostcneerfully 

 comply and as it would be too late to do so thro' 

 the southern agriculturist, I address this to you, to 

 be used as ynu may Junk proper. 



All that is necessary to be known, is contain- 

 ed in the article which you have extracted. I 

 would only suggest that perhaps a lighter soil 

 and a warmer situation would answer better in 

 your state than those recorded in that article. — 

 You may also plant it much nearer, say 3 feet 

 from row to row, and 18 in. in the row, leaving but 

 one stalk. We plant it about the middle of March, 

 and generally commence picking the pods early 

 in June, which are borne in succession as the 

 plant progresses in its growth. They are of a 

 proper size when two or three inches long ; but 

 may be used as long as they remain tender, which 

 is judged of by their bitterness: if good, (that is 

 fit for use) they will snap asunder at the ends, but 

 if they merely bend, they are too old, have be- 

 come woody, and must be rejected, for a few of 

 such pods will spoil a dish of soup. I will now 

 proceed to give you the directions for making the 

 soup. I have taken definite quantities, so that 

 the proper portion of each may be clearly under- 

 derstood by you. Smaller quantities may be used, 

 but the proportions ought to be observed, as well 

 as the length of time of boiling. I take one peck ' 

 of okra pods, which must be very tender, and of j 

 which you will judge by the rule already given ; 

 cut them across into very thin slices, not exceed- 

 ing s in. in thickness, but as much thinner as pos- 

 sible, as the operation is accelerated by their thin- 

 ness. To this quantity of okra add about one 

 third of a peck of tomatoes, which are first pealed 

 and cut into pieces. This quantity can be either 

 increased or diminished as may suit the taste of 

 those for whom it is intended. A coarse piece of 

 beef, (a shin is gpnerally made use of) is placed 

 into a digester with about two and a half gallons 

 of water and a very small quantity of salt. It is 

 permitted to boil for a few moments, when the 

 scum is taken oft" and the okra and tomatoes 

 thrown in. These are all the ingredients that are 

 absolutely necessary, and the soup made is re- 

 markably fine. We however usually add some 



oru cut oft' from the tender roasting ears, (the 

 grain from three ears will be enough for the a- 

 hove quantity.) We also add sometimes about a 

 half pint of Lima or civic beans, both of these im- 

 prove the soup, but not so much as to make them 

 mdispensablcs — so far from it that I believe few 

 add them. The most material thing to be atten- 

 ded to is the boiling ; and the excellence of the 

 soup depends almost entirely on this being fai'h- 

 fully done ; for if it be not enough, however well 

 the ingredients may have been selected, the soup 

 will be very inferior, and give but little idea of 

 the delightful flavor it possesses when properly 

 done. I have already directed that the ingredi- 

 ents must be placed in a digester. This is deci- 

 diyily the best vessel for doing this or any other 



soup in : but should there be no digester, then an 

 earthen ware pot should be prepared, but on no 

 account make use of an iron one as it would turn 

 the wholesome soup perfectly black. The proper 

 color being green, co.ored with the rich yellow of 

 the tomatoes. The time which is usually occupi- 

 ed in boiling okra soup is five hours. We put it 

 on at 9 o'clock in the morning and take it off a- 

 bout2 P. M., during the whole of which time it 

 is kept briskly boiling; the cook at the same 

 time stirring it and mashing the different ingredi- 

 ents. By the time it is taken off, it will be redu- 

 ced to about one half, but as on the operation of 

 the boiling being well and faithfully executed, dis- 

 pands its goodness (as I have already remarked.) 

 1 will state the criterion by which this is judged of 

 — the meat separates entirely from the bone, be- 

 ing " done to rags." The whole appears as one 

 homogeneous mass, in which none of the ingre- 

 dients are seen distinct; the object of this long 

 boiling being thus to incorporate them. Its 

 consistency should be about that of milk and 

 porridge. I have I believe given you full direc- 

 tions for making this most excellent dish, and sure 

 am I that if you can only succeed in raising the 

 okra and follow the directions here given, you 

 will rarely be without it when it can be obtain 

 ed. The okra is raised in immense quantities 

 here, and is used by both rich and poor and con- 

 sidered by each as one of the best of our summer 

 dishes. In fact after eating a plate of okra soup, 

 with its accompaniment, rice, few care to partake 

 of any thing more in the shape of solid food. — 

 Some even cut the pods and dry them for winter 

 use. It will be gratifying to me to learn what suc- 

 cess attendsyour attempts to cultivate this plant and 

 make it into soups. We have several(3) varieties 

 of okra, one of which is very inferior, being short 

 and soon growing woody. Should you feel dis- 

 posed to continue its culture I will with pleasure 

 : forward you some of our best seeds, if you will 

 only direct me how and to where I shall send them. 

 It will also give me pleas ire to communicate any 

 other parts you may wish to be acquainted with, 

 either respecting this or any other plant or shrub 

 cultivated among us. 



Yours respectfully, 



JOHN D. LEGARE. 

 N. Goodsel, Esq. 



In our 27 No. we expressed a wish that the 

 editor of the Southern. Agricu It/wrist would send 

 us directions for cooking okra or preparing the 

 dish called Gombo from it. No sooner had our 

 communication reached Charleston, than tile edi- 

 tor encloses at once all necessary directions which 

 we now give to our readers, having previously re- 

 ceived froin the Hon. J. Buel of Abany, directions 

 for raising the plant in this latitude. When we 

 consider the promptness with which these men 

 embrace every opportunity to do good to the pub- 

 lic, we cannot but feel our hearts overflowing with 

 gratitude to them. That we have our lots cast a- 

 mongst such philanthropists is a pleasant reflec- 

 tion The facilities for agricultural improve- 

 ments are increasing, and sentinels are now pla- 

 ced at proper distances on our sea coast from 

 Georgia to Maine, to spread from post to post, 

 without delay, any news of improvements in for- 

 eign countries, and those correspond with senti- 

 nels placed inland, whose duty it is to watch our 

 internal improvements and answer any inquiries 



which may be made from any part of the union 

 Surely our fathers had not such advantages ! A 

 farmer has but to ask information upon any point 

 touching his occupation, from one of our Agricul- 

 tural editors, and he receives free as air, not only 

 the results of experiments of the present, but of 

 past ages. No sooner is his inquiry made to one, 

 than it is sounded from post to post, and every ed- 

 itor feels himself called upon to exert himself in 

 the general cause 



Libraries are ransacked for records of the past 

 — learned and practical men are consulted for the 

 improvement of the present age, and all this is 

 transmitted back to the inquirer with telegraphic 

 dispatch. Who then will remain ignorant of bu- 

 siness in which he is engaged 1 Who will con- 

 tinue slumbering in ignorance when his neighbors 

 are pressing forward in improvements to pros- 

 perity and fame 1 What man will not retire from 

 tile disgusting, virtue-destroying course of poli- 

 tics of the present day, to enjoy the biisses of an 

 honest, industrious, agricultural life, where every 

 blessing is received immediately from the foun- 

 tain of all good, with thankful hearts. Not so 

 with the political sycophant, he receives his com- 

 pensation as the reward of guile, and while pock- 

 eting, abhors it. Then what farmer will not ex 

 change his political for an agricultural paper 1 — 

 Let the subscription lists of those papers till. 



FOR THE GENESEE FARMER. 



The experience of "A young Farmer" in bud- 

 ding Or grafting cultivated cherries on the wild 

 black cherry (Prunus virginiana) exactly ac- 

 cords with my own, for all my attempts have 

 been complete failures. There is another wild 

 cherry (Primus pennsylvanica) however, that 

 forms a good stock. Its leaves resemble those of 

 the peach tree, and is often very abun int among 

 hemlocks and windfalls. One of my friends had 

 many fine cherries growing on the latter stocks ; 

 but he assured me (what I was well prepared to 

 believe) that he could never get one to grow on the 

 common wild cherry. 



The genus prunus includes many species 

 (Plums and Cherries) which agree will in their 

 botanical character, but seem to differ very wide- 

 ly in their natures. The plum grows freely on 

 the peach tree although of a different genus, and 

 vice versa, though perhaps more sparingly ; but I 

 have never seen the plum grow on a cherry stock, 

 nor a cherry on a plum stock. D. T. 



8 mo. 5, 1831. 



SEI.UCTIOSliS. 



FLAX AND HEMP. 



Contiuued'from pagfl 251. 

 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 



Whilst viewing the treatment of flax in 

 the Netherlands, I was not a little surprised 

 at seeing cattle of every kind grazing in the 

 field where it was steeping, and with free ac- 

 cess to the steeping pools, the water of which 

 is considered in Ireland to be hig ly injuri- 

 ous to every animal; having questioned a 

 Boer on this matter, he told me, he never 

 knew an instance of cattle being injured by 

 flax water, nor is any precaution whatever 

 used to keep them from it ; on examining 

 the water in which the flax is steeped, I found 

 the color of it to differ much from that of 

 the flax pools in Ireland : and I am led to 

 think, on further consideration of the subject, 

 that the vegetable matters which are blended 



