OKRA 



215 



perfectly for two years in this condition. So much depends upon 

 atmospheric and other conditions that no definite statement can 

 be made as to how long pop corn will keep. The time varies all 

 the way from one to four years. After the crop has become suffi- 

 ciently dry to pop well, it will usually keep better in bulk than 

 spread out in thin layers. A crop in storage should be tested 

 from time to time to see how it is keeping. 



Pop corn is always bought and sold by sample. Upon receipt 

 of a sample, the dealer shells off and carefully measures a given 

 quantity of the corn, usually one pint; then pops it and measures 



Fig. 128. — Okra. A favorite southern vegetable. 



the popped corn. The price paid for the corn is based upon the 

 amount of increase in popping. A good sample of corn will increase 

 about twenty times. 



OKRA 



Okra or gumbo is a warm season crop grown quite generally 

 in the South, where it is a favorite dish, cooked either alone or 

 with tomatoes. It is canned with tomatoes for winter use and the 

 resulting mixture furnishes the foundation for the soup known 

 as '' tomato and gumbo." The immature seed pods are the edible 

 product (Fig. 128). When cooked, these exude a large amount 



