PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 291 



" I believe that it might be made a commercial article of great value, 

 being to my taste superior to the Southern article for food. There are 

 thousands of acres, as I am informed, not harvested in the Northwest, and 

 immense tracts of lake and river where it might be successfully grown. I 

 presume that you remember seeing it growing in the Chicago and Calu- 

 met rivers in the early days of Northern Illinois. It is a beautiful plant. 



"to cook the rice 



" After washing put it in a colander and pour boiling water through it; 

 salt to taste; put to cook in a covered vessel of the capacity of two quarts 

 or more to a pint of rice, with just sufficient water to cover it; cook slowly 

 two hours, or till parched white, adding water (but little water is required, 

 as it should not be fully saturated) as required; keep the steam in and 

 avoid stirring as much as possible; use as other rice. 



"This rice will not grow; it has been beat to get the hulls off. 



" In the beginning of the rebellion I was in Southwestern Missouri, and 

 left to save my life. I went to Minnesota with some of my family, and 

 staid a year, during which time I became quite interested in the natural 

 products of the country, and was led to believe that there are many things 

 growing there naturally, highly worthy of cultivation, and some are so 

 abundant that if saved and put to use, would soon become of great com- 

 mercial value. 



" Besides the rice there is a bulbous root, apparently quite abundant, 

 growing in water, which I saw the Indians using, that has the flavor of 

 boiled chestnuts. 



"The hop grows there wild to perfection, and in considerable quantities, 

 as far north as 46 deg., and a perennial nettle (commonly called bastard 

 nettle), without the vexatious spines, the bark of which is equal to the bark 

 of hemp; and the white moss of the swamps looks to me like a good mate- 

 rial for paper, with proper management. It attains a length of six inches 

 to a foot, and covers the swamps like wool on a sheep's back. 



" The berry fruits are numerous and abundant in the northeastern por- 

 tion of the State, to which section my observations were mostly confined. 

 The cranberry is very abundant, and by observing its growth, color, form, 

 and keeping qualities, I ascertained that there are several varieties, some 

 of which, if kept without being frozen, will remain sound the whole year, 

 and then be just as good as the freshly picked berries. The cranberry, by 

 its leaf, blossom, and structure of fruit, is an apple. 



"The huckleberry is also very abundant and of superior quality, which, 

 when dried, is equal to the imported small grapes, called currants, for 

 culinary purposes. Most Northerners know its splendid qualities as a 

 fresh summer fruit. There are several varieties of the blackberry, one of 

 which, a low, bountiful bearer, is without a rival in the blackberry family. 

 Three varieties of raspberry, very abundant. Two varieties of red and 

 black currants. The fruit of one of the red varieties is large, covered with 

 fine limber spines, and of excellent flavor. Strawberries are in endless 

 profusion and variety. 



" The willows which grow on the old beaver meadows, for basket work 

 are far superior to those which our Illinois farmers buy the cuttings of at 



