i82 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ December, 



Just rising from the breakfast table. They iu- 

 vited me to sit down and eat, but as their 

 hospitality had been forestalled by a hearty 

 breakfixst at home, they offered me " a cup of 

 chocolate," an article too rare and too deli- 

 cious to a boy's palate, when well made and 

 well sweetened, to be refused more than once, 

 and that only "for good manners !" So I sat 

 down and soon despatched what appeared to 

 uiy uiiconnoisseure taste to be a cup of weak 

 but pretty good chocolate. I found out that 

 they raised the article of which it was made 

 in their own garden, and was shown the 

 plant on which it grew, and often saw it 

 aftei'ward. It resembled what is now called 

 Imphee, a plant of the broomcorn and 

 sorghum order, much used, like sorghum, in 

 the west as well as elsewhere, especially dur- 

 ing the rebellion, for making syrup and sugar. 

 The stalk and leaves were like sorghum, the 

 head forming an oval clump of dark purple 

 seeds, which were roasted, as if for coffee, 

 and poHnded in a mortar or coarsely ground 

 in a cortee mill, and then prei)ared as choco- 

 late usually is. I have searched among the 

 many varieties of sorghum and imphee met 

 with in the last fifteen years, but have been 

 unable to find this particular plant. Yet I 

 have been told that it is grown as one of the 

 many sugar-producing sorghums, and tliat its 

 botanical njime is Holms hi color. As the seed 

 head of that raised by James Low was uni- 

 formly purple, and so dark as to be called 

 black; I have thought there might be a mis- 

 take in the name or its application. 



I will add that I have heard that the seeds 

 of the common broom-corn, when properly 

 roasted, and mixed and ground with a little 

 coffee, have been used as a substitute for 

 coffee during " hard times," and been found 

 very palatable. Perhaps when the palate and 

 nervous system have been duly disciplined 

 while coifee is very dear, the addition of this 

 (by way of change,) to other numerous substi- 

 tutes for the Arabian berry, may be of some 

 gratification to lovers of coffee. It has, at 

 least, the merit of being very cheap and 

 plentiful in some sections of our land, and 

 easily raised in almost any garden. — A. B. 

 Grofih, Washington, D. C. 



[When a boy we lived in the same street 

 that Jimmy Low did, about two squares west 

 of his house ; and we can distinctly recall the 

 kind of cliocolate referred to by the writer of 

 the above. For, not only was it cultivated 

 and used at our home, but also by a number 

 of our neighbors, and we imagined it as good 

 as the genuine ; and we can yet see the' 

 bunches of seed heads hanging all winter in 

 the attic, for next seasons planting. Judging 

 from such time-marks as we can fix in our 

 mind, our mother cultivated the "cliocolate 

 corn " in the summers of 18-21, 18-22 and, per- 

 haps, 1823. On the stalk the seeds, or that 

 portion i)rotruding from the glumes, were a 

 very dark purple, and the stalk was also 

 streaked with the same color. But we have 

 no distinct recollection of having seen any of 

 it since that period. AVe think it was called 

 " Chinese chocolate.^'' — Ed.] 



HOME-MADE MANURES. 



We publish the following scientific fornmlas 

 for the manufacture of "home-made manures" 

 on the farm, and which our agricultural readers 

 can keep and refer to at any time when they 

 may have occasion and opportunity to com- 

 pound them for themselves. The time is cer- 

 tainly graduall}% but steadily, approaching 

 when every farmer will be compelled to pay 

 some heed to scientific farming, and especially 

 to the comiiounding of artificial manures. 

 The future tendency of our country, through 

 the rajjid increase of its poimlation, will be 

 towards increasing the number of our farms 

 and farmers ; the diminishing of the size of 

 our farms, and a higher, more thorough and 

 intelligent state of culture, through which, 

 and with less labor, an increased and im- 

 proved amount of products may be realized. 

 The following twenty-two formulas — twenty- 

 one of which are adapted to ci-ops grown in Lan- 

 caster county — will, at least, be helps in experi- 



menting on manures and soils. They were 

 originally published l)y the Harrison Brothers 

 &C'o., of Philadelphia, Pa., who have de- 

 voted much time and tliougbt to analytical 

 chemistry, and possess no ordinary reputation 

 in that branch of science. 



The great need of the farmer is a cheap 

 and effective manure. In these formulas we 

 have aimed to meet that want. 



Chemical manure is a concentrated fertili- 

 zer having no useless materials. It is more 

 powerful than barnyard manure, since in the 

 latter the fmr valuable constituents, nitrogen, 

 phosphoric acid, potash and lime are mixed 

 with bulky foreign matters, which hinder 

 their action, while (ui the other hand, chemi- 

 cal manure is composed only of sulistances 

 which act directly, and are easily absorbed by 

 plants. 



No machinery is required to mix these 

 "home-made" manures. Ordinary farm labor 

 can mix them as successfully as the practical 

 chemist. 



The formulas may be relied upon as the 

 best mixtures for the special crops for which 

 they are intended, and are calculated to suit 

 the requirements of the average product of a 

 well cultivated single acre. 



No. 1. Wheat. — For 20 bushels over natural yield. 



Sulphate of Ammonia, 2.5 per cent., . 200 ths. 



Ground Bones, 100 " 



Oil of Vitriol, 660, 40 " 



Muriate of Potash, 80 per cent., . . 50 " 



Sulphate of Soda, 40 " 



Land Plaster, 170 " 



600 

 No. 2. Indian Corn. — For 30 bushels over natural 

 yield. 



Ground Bones, 100 lbs. 



Oil of Vitriol, 66°, 40 " 



Sulphate of Ammonia, 2.5 per cent., . ISO " 



Muriate of Potash, 80 per cent., . . 125 " 



Sulphate of Soda, 35 " 



Land Plaster, 120 " 



600 " 

 No. 3. Oats. — For 30 bushels over natural yield. 

 Sulphate of Ammonia, 25 per cent., . 150 lbs. 



Ground Bones, 50 " 



Oil of Vitriol, 66°, 20 " 



Muriate of Potash, 80 per cent., . . .50 " 



Sulphate of Soda, SO " 



Land Plaster, 100 " 



400 " 

 No. 4. Bakley. — For 30 bushels over natural yield. 



Sulphate of Ammonia, 25 per cent., . 175 Ihs. 



Ground Bones, . . . . . . 75 " 



Oil of Vitriol, 66°, "30 " 



Muriate of Potash, 80 per cent., . . 65 " 



Snlphate of Soda, )35 " 



Land Plaster, 120 " 



.500 '• 

 No. 5. Rye. — For 20 bushels over natural yield. 

 Sulphate of Ammonia, 25 per cent., . . 140 lbs. 



Ground Bones, 60 " 



Oil of Vitriol, ecfi, 25 " 



Muriate of Potash, 80 per cent., . . 50 " 

 Sulphate of Soda, . • . . . . 45 " 

 Land Plaster, 130 " 



450 " 



No. 6. Buckwheat. — For 25 bushels over natural 



yield. 



Muriate of Potash, 80 per cent., . . 100 lbs. 



Sulphate of Ammonia, 25 per cent., . . 185 *' 



Ground Bones, 100 " 



Oil of Vitriol, 60°, 40 " 



Sulphate of Soda, 75 " 



LaudPlastei, . , . . . . 100 " 



600 



No. 7. Cotton.- 



■For 500 pounds Lint over natural 

 yield. 



Ground Bones, 



Oil of Vitriol, 66°, 



Sulphate of Ammonia, 25 per cent., . 

 Muriate of Potash, 80 per cent.. 



Sulphate of Soda, 



Land Plaster, 



Sulphate of Magnesia, crude, . 



600 " 

 No. 8. Tobacco. — For 1,000 lbs. dry leaf over na- 

 tural yield. 

 Sulphate of Potash, 25 per cent., . . 700 lbs. 

 Sulphate of Ammonia, 25 per cent., . . 310 " 



Ground Bones, 

 Oil of Vitriol, 66°, 

 Sulphate of Magnesia, crude, 

 Land Plaster, 



100 lbs. 

 . 40 " 



100 " 

 . 150 " 



1400 " 

 No. 9. Cabbages. — For 15 tons over natural yield. 

 Muriate of Potash, 80 per cent., . . 3.50 lbs. 

 Sulphate of Ammonia, 35 per cent., . . 400 " 



Ground Bones, i;.50 " 



Oilof Vitriol, 66°, 100 " 



Sulphate of Soda, 50 " 



Land Plaster 200 " 



No. 10. Beans. — For 20 bushels over 

 Muriate of Potash, 80 per cent.. 

 Sulphate of Ammonia, 25 per cent.. 

 Ground Bones, .... 



Oil of VitJiol,660, 

 Sulphate of Soda, .... 

 Land Plaster, .... 



1350 " 

 natural yield. 



120 lbs. 

 . 320 " 



100 " 

 . 40 " 



100 " 

 . 120 " 



800 " 

 No. 11. Peas. — For 20 bushels over natural yield. 

 Muriate of Potash, 80 per cent., . . 90 lbs- 

 Sulphate of Ammonia, 25 per cent., . 250 " 



Ground Bones, 100 " 



Oil of Vitriol, 66°, 40 " 



Sulphate of Soda, 60 " 



Laud Plaster, 160 " 



700 " 

 No. 12. Sugar Beets.— For 10 tons (Roots) over 



natural yield. 

 Sulphate of Ammonia, 35 per cent., . . 240 lbs. 

 Ground Bones, ..... 100 " 



Oil of Vitriol, 66°, 40 " 



Sulphate of Potash, 25 per cent., . . 8.50 " 

 Land Plaster, 120 " 



1350 " 

 No. 13. Potatoes.— For 200 bushele over natural 



yield. 

 Sulphate of Potash, 25 per cent., . . 550 lbs. 

 Sulphate of Ammonia, 25 per cent., . 200 " 



Ground Bones, 100 " 



Oil of Vitriol, 66°, . . . . 40 " 



Land Plaster, 120 " 



Sulphate of Soda, 40 " 



1050 " 

 No. 14. Onions. — For 400 bushels over natural yield. 

 Sulphate of Ammonia, 25 per cent., . . 220 lbs. 

 Ground Bones, . . . . ■ 1.50 " 



Oil of Vitriol, 66°, 60 " 



Sulphateof Potash, 25 per cent., . . 250 " 

 Land Plaster, 120 " 



800 " 

 No. 15. Turnips. — For 10 tons (roots) over natural 

 yield. 



Ground Bones, 100 lbs. 



Oil of Vitriol, 06°, 40 " 



Sulphate of Ammonia, 25 per cent., . 275 " 

 Sulphate of Potash, 25 per cent., . . 600 " 



Land Plaster, 150 " 



Sulphate of Soda, 35 " 



1200 " 

 No. 16. Cakrots. — For 300 bushels over natural 



yield. 

 Sulphate of Ammonia, 25 per cent., . 350 lbs. 



Ground Bones, 100 " 



Oil of Vitriol, 66°, 40 " 



Sulphate of Potash, 25 per cent., . . 500 " 



Land Plaster, 150 " 



Sulphate of Soda 60 " 



1200 " 

 No. 17. Peach Tubes and Grapevines. — Per acre. 



Muriate of Potash, 80 per cent., . . 400 Ibe. 



Nitrate of Soda, 95 per cent., . . . 3.50 " 



Ground Bones, 400 " 



Oil of Vitriol, 66°, 160 " 



Sulphate of Soda 90 " 



Land Plaster, 200 " 



1600 



No. 18. Strawberries. 

 Muriate of Potash, 80 per cent.. 

 Nitrate of Soda, 95 per cent., . 

 Ground Bones, 

 Oil of Vitriol, 66°, 



-Per acre. 



220 lbs. 



160 " 



150 " 



60 " 



Land Plaster, 110 



700 



No. 19. Timothy and Meadow Grass.— Two tons 



{Dry) over natural yield. 

 Sulphate of Ammonia, 25 per cent., . . 300 lbs. 



Ground Bones, 100 " 



Oil of Vitriol, 60O, • . . . . 40 " 



