THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



147 



pect for an agricultural school in this State. — 

 Do use your influence in its early commence- 

 ment and progress, in this honorable, indispensa- 

 ble and delightful "science." I also noticed 

 with much interest the article on economy. Con- 

 nect this branch (for 'lis an indispensable one), 

 with the great channel, that alone can conduct 

 us to the true and proper system of agriculture, 

 and we will, in this respect, no longer be the 

 subjects of criticism to our Northern neighbors, 

 but will soon cause them to wonder how a 

 Southern man can get out of debt without sell- 

 ing "that peculiar kind of property in which a 

 large portion of our funds is vested." 

 Respectfully, yours, &c. 



Broomfield. 



Sussex, May 24, 1845. 



OKRA. 



We have often wondered that this excellent 

 vegetable was not more generally cultivated in 

 Virginia 



in Mr. Ellsworth's report : 



We find the following account of it 



Okra is extensively cultivated in the South- 

 ern and some of the middle States, as an article 

 of food, and it is suggested by Mr. J. F. Callan, 

 of Washington, that it is destined ere long to 

 expel the use of imported coffee. He says, " its 

 ripe seeds burned and used as coffee cannot be dis- 

 tinguished therefrom, and many persons of the 

 most fastidious taste have not been able to dis- 

 tinguish it from the best Java. It is very easily 

 grown, planted in May, in drills four feet apart, 

 to the depth of an inch, at intervals of eight 

 inches, and cultivated like corn or peas, it 

 sends up a strong stalk, and yields a great 

 abundance of seed." 



The Farmer's Encyclopaedia has an article 

 which we give in addition to the above: 



"This plant is exiensivelj 7 cultivated in the 

 West Indies, from whence it has been introduced 

 into the United States. The pods are gathered 

 green, and used in soups. They form an im- 

 portant ingredient in the celebrated gumbo soup 

 of New Orleans, and other southern places. — 

 The pods are filled with seeds, and a mucilage 

 of a bland and highly nutritious quality. Hence, 

 the okra is frequently recommended to persons 

 afflicted with dysentery and other bowel com- 

 plaints, eaten either boiled or made into soup. — 

 When buttered and spiced, they afford a rich 

 dish; and, with vinegar, they make a good 

 pickle. The plant comes to maturity in the 

 middle States, and the pods aie abundant in the 

 Philadelphia market. Those who become once 

 accustomed to this wholesome vegetable, con- 

 tract a jri-eat fondness for its peculiar flavor. In 

 Louisiana and other southern States, a. dinner is 

 scarcely considered complete without okra cooked 



in some way or other ; and the poor consider it 

 one of their greatest blessings. The pods are 

 of a proper size when two or three inches long, 

 but may be used as long as they remain tender. 

 If fit for use, they will snap asunder at the 

 ends; but if too old and woody, they must be 

 rejected. One peck of the tender pods are to 

 be cut crosswise into very thin slices, not ex- 

 ceeding one-eighth of an inch in thickness; to 

 this quantity, add about one-third of a peck of 

 tomatoes, previously peeled and cut into pieces. 

 The proportion of tomatoes may be varied to 

 suit the taste. A coarse piece of beef (a shin 

 is generally made use of,) is placed in a pot or 

 digester, wilh about two and a half gallons of 

 water, and a very small quantity of salt. This 

 is permitted to boil a few minutes, when the 

 scum is taken off, and the okra and tomatoes 

 are thrown in. With these ingredients, in the 

 proportions mentioned, the soup is very fine. — 

 Still, some think it improved by addition of 

 i green corn, Lima beans, &c. The most essen- 

 tial thing to be attended to is the boiling, and 

 I the excellence of the soup depends almost en- 

 tirely on this being done faithfully ; for, if it be 

 net boiled enough, however well the ingredients 

 may have been selected and proportioned, the 

 soup will be very inferior, and give but little idea 

 j of the delightful flavor it possesses when well 

 ! done. A properly constructed digester is deci- 

 : dedly the best vessel for boiling this or any other 

 soup in; but, where such a utensil is not at 

 hand, an earthen pot should be preferred; but 

 on no account make use of an iron one, as it 

 would turn the whole soup perfectly black, in- 

 stead of the proper color, viz: green, colored 

 with the rich yellow of tomatoes. The time 

 usually required for boiling okra is about five 

 hours; during which it should be occasionally 

 stirred and the ingredients mashed." 



ARTIFICIAL MANURES. 



Professor Liebig, the eminent chemist, is said 

 to have taken out a patent for a variety of arti- 

 ficial manures, suited to all the principal crops 

 which are grown in this country. 



For the Southern Planter. 



STOCK, GAPES, &c. 



Mr. Editor, — The usual drought and severe 

 frost of this spring has not occasioned as much 

 injury as was anticipated here; forward wheat 

 and oats suffered most, and must be a short 

 crop. Tobacco plants are plenty and some of 

 our planters half done planting now ; fruit will 

 be scarce. 



T expected to see in the May number of the 

 Planter fun her notice of Mr. Nolting's sheep. 

 I presume he will give us the amount of wool 



