84 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
sea-board. Mr. Habersham, in a letter to the 
Earl of Hillsborouoh, dated Savannah, 24th of 
April, 1772, thus expresses himself on this point : 
“Upwards of twenty years ago, if my memory 
does not fail me, Samuel Lloyd, Esq., of London, 
who was one of the late Trustees for establishing 
this Colony, and was fourteen years in Italy, and 
very largely concerned in the silk t usiness, wrote 
to me, that the best silk was produced at a dis- 
tance from the seacoast, owing, I suppose, to the 
richness of the soil, which made the mulberry 
leaf more glutinous, nutritive and healthy to the 
silk worm; also, to their not being obnoxious to 
musquetoes and sand flies, and probably, like- 
wisei to the weather being more equal and less 
liable to sudden transition from heat to cold : and 
on a conversation this day with Mr. Barnard, of 
Augusta, he assures me, that from two years ex- 
perience in raising cocoons there, he lost none 
from sickness which frequently destroys two- 
thirds of the worms here,; and he further says, 
that Mr. Ottolenghe told him that the silk reeled 
from the Augusta cocoons, “ made the strongest 
and most wiry thread of any raised in these 
parts.” 
Second, the expensiveness of living, and the 
dearness of labor, which was as high as Is. 8d. 
to 2s. per day, whereas 2d. or Id. was the usual 
price paid the peasant in silk-growing countries. 
Governor Wrieht, in a letter to the Earl of Hills- 
borough, frankly told him that, “ till these pro- 
vinces become more populous and labor cheaper, 
I apprehend silk will not be a commodity, or an 
article of any considerable amount. 
Third, the great reduction of the bounty, which 
being the stimulus to exertion, ceased to operate 
as an incentive, w'hen from 3s. 3d., it fell to Is. 
3d., and finally to a mere premium on the gene- 
ral quantity imported. The poor could not sub- 
sist on these prices, and the rich could employ 
their lands to much better advantage than in cul- : 
tivating an article which would not repay the ex- 
penses of labor : and, lastly, the increaBing at- 
tention bestowed on rice and cotton, sealed the 
fate of the silk culture, and the planters soon 
learned to consider the latter of no importance, 
in comparison with the large and lucrative crops 
■yielded by those more staple commodities. Oth- 
er reasons might be mentioned, but these suffi- 
ciently account for its decline there, and its total 
neglect even to the present day. During the 
morusmulticaulis epidemic, which spread over 
our country in 1838, Savannah, it is true, did not 
escape, and for a time the fever raged with much 
violence, but the febrile action soon subsided, 
leaving no permanent benefit, and only a few 
fields of waving foliage, as a deciduous memento 
of this frenzied excitement. 
That silk can be produced in Georgia equal to 
any in the world, does not admit of a doubt, but 
whether it will ever be resumed, and when, is 
among the unknown events of the future. 
CCLTIVATIOrV OF IIVOIA.-V COKN, 
From a paper read before the Dorchester (Md.) Far- 
mers’ Club. Published by order of the Club. 
Requested under a resolution of the last Club 
meeting, I submit to them a few additional re- 
marks, in support of the mode of the culture of 
Indian corn, indicated in my last paper, on that 
subject. [See April No. So. CuhT. p. 52.] 
It will be unnecessary for me, before the mem- 
bers of this club, to urge the point of the indis- 
pensable necessity of the presence ol Nitrogen, 
lor the perfection ot all plants designed for ani- 
mal sustenance — it is sufficient to demonstrate, 
that the sources of this essential, elementary 
material, are more economically appropriated 
under that culture, than by the usual practice ol 
recent plowing, and crjss plowing, &e. &c. 
The two great sources of this useful element, . 
are ist, the direct product ol all organic bodies, 
in a state of decomposition — united with by- ; 
drogen, in the form of ammonia; and with 
oxygen, as nitric acid— 2d, the indirect supply 
from the atmosphere, at large, when it has been 
diff used, from bodies decaying on the surface of 
our lands. 
Prom the infinite accumulation of these ma- 
terials, it is unquestionable, that the atmosphere 
must be loaded with these gaseous products, as 
■well as with all other vaporable su-bstances — 
and it is equally so, that being soluble in water, ' 
they will of necessity mix and descend with the 
rain and snow, which may fall upon the earth 
from the regions in which "they -were floating. 
Notwithstanding this obvious necessity, of 
the presence ol these gases, and others, occa- 
sioned by the causes named, yet, being not ap- 
parent to the senses, farmers, indeed In general, 
will not acknowledge the fact; and many others 
do not appreciate their quantity; which, at the 
first falling ol rain, or snow, and especially af- 
ter their long suspension, is greater than would 
be imagined, without actual examination — as I 
assure you, 1 have irequently witnessed, on an- 
alysis, for my own assurance and gratification. 
I have alluded to this important fact, iu ray 
former paper, and 1 renew it, with the mure 
earnestness, because it forms the chief basis or 
principle ol the mode of culture therein advo- 
cated,; and if admitted, the conclusion is una- 
voidable, that, as befbre explained,, it is better 
adapted to economise the atmospheric supply 
ol vegetable nutriment, as well as to prevent 
the waste, by dissipation ol the products of the 
decomposing sward, than the usual practice of 
recent and cross plowing. 
The soil, too, will be improved, not only by 
the artificial fixity, given to these volatile sub- 
stances — the gases— but by the salts and alkalies 
ol the putrescent sward which is placed and 
preserved in a condition to promote fermentation. 
In point oifact, results have accorded to theo- 
ry a large share ol corroboratory evidence. 
Though motives may be misconstrued, 1 will 
venture in aid of the problem I have proposed 
lor solution to adduce cases of results,, in com- 
parison with those of the usual methods lor 
which I refer to the publications of the facts — 
set lorth in the Delaware Advertiser, Wilming- 
ton^ and in the American Farmer, Baltimore. 
The first -named paper notices a sweep-stake, 
made up by several gentlemen in Delaware, 
who admitted me as a member — for the best 
crop of Indian co.^n, on one acre;— the Am. 
Farmer, perhaps more accessible, also publish- 
ed it, at the same time — 1829, vol. 11, p. 314; 
my method then, differed from the present, only 
in the planting of doubte-AriW and one plant 
left, in place of single drill and two left, which lat- 
ter I have found to be prelerable; 1 think, too, in 
one deep bar furrow, which I ■have discontinued. 
The product ofmy acre was something more 
than one hundred bushels shelled corn — and I 
obtained the stake~a silver pitcher;— I under- 
stood that my competitors all cross plovwd. 
The files ol the Am. Farmer, also, in 18‘27, 
vol. 9, page 257, conmins a notice of my suc- 
cess, in a competition for two premiums offered 
by the Md. Agricultural Society— lor the best 
products of Indian corn, on ten acres, and on 
five acres; both of which, I had the gratifica- 
tion to receive —in evidence of the preference ol 
my mode of culture — which gave me ninetv 
bushels per acre on the five acres — and seventy 
six per acre on the ten. 
On the second — the Maryland case, there 
happened a considerable drouth — and my neigh- 
bors predicted destruciion to my crop — but it 
suffered less than theirs, w'hich was cross plow- 
ed ; which is well attested by a sweep-stake s.il- 
ver pitcher inscribed to that effect — which I re- 
ceived from them; and several of you gentle- 
men happen to be ol the number, that made the 
handsome contribution^ and I hope., that we 
may long live to enjoy the festive libations of 
thatj and similar trophies, which you have ob- 
tained, on similar occasions, for similar achieve- 
ments, on that arena ol competition where victo- 
ry leads tothe comfort and ■happiness of mankind 
The inveterarcy of custom arid prejudice, 
may long continue the practice of recent, and 
cross plowing — but I beg of you generally, to 
make the experiment, fairly, on a small square 
of your fields, if you please; and 1 am fully con- 
vinced, you will find the results, which I have 
stated, and the reasons on which they were found- 
ed, most fully and satisfactorily sustained, 
This inveteracy ol custom and prejudice has 
done much to retard the onward march of agri- 
culture; and while its influence continues, it is 
a vain hope, Lliat we shall see in general prac- 
tice, a system based on principles of science 
and unerring philosophic induction ;— while 
this impediment continues, the charge of “book- 
learning" will be, as it now is, a popular theme 
of derision; a synonym of folly with the most 
ol our farmers; while it continues, the fact ol 
printing or writing down an established truth, 
will be, as it now is, enough to discredit it, with 
a large class of our countrymen at home and 
abroad, possessing in other respects, an ordina- 
ry sagacity; it is our business — it is om purpose 
to ameliorate this unfortunate condition of fatu- 
ity — and teach by ocular process — by results, 
which may be viewed in comparison that they 
have not attained fhat ulLimiatc principle of skill, 
which they fancy they have, innately, derived 
Irom their forefathers, and that one higher step 
may yet be taken by them to advantage; it suc- 
cessful in the reclamation, we may claim a por- 
tion ot public gratitude— if not, yet by the ef- 
fort, we have performed our duty. 
Joseph E. Mose. 
From Ellsworth’s Report for 1844. 
O R A . 
Washington City, January, 15, 1845. 
Dear Sir : — I take the liberty to call your at- 
tention to the cultivation of one of the most val- 
uable of vegetables, destined, at no distant day, 
to expel from our maikets one of the m.ost ex- 
tensive aiticles of imports, and now admitted 
tree ol duly. I mean okra, whose excellence 
in soup is universally known and acknowledg- 
ed. Its ripe seeds burned and used as cojjee, can- 
not be distinguished therefrom ; and many persons 
of the most fastidious taste have not been able 
to distinguish it from the best “Java.” It is 
very easily grown. The seeds •may l>e sown i-n 
May, in drills 4 feet asunder, an in. h deep and 
8 inches apart, and cultivated like corn or peas^ 
It sends up a strong stalk, and yields a great 
abundance ol seeds, and the “coffee” made 
from it is very healthy. 1 Uiink it matter ol 
great importance, espeeiallv to the western 
States, and herewith semi a bag of seeds for 
distribution. Very respecttully, 
Hon. H. L. Ellsworth J. F. Callan. 
Extract from the Farmers’ Encyclopaedia. 
Okra, (hibiscus esculenlis .) — This plant is ex- 
tensively cultivated in the We‘l Indies, from 
whence it has been introduced into the United 
States. The pods are,gathered green, and used 
in soups. They form an important ingredient 
in the celebrated gumbo soup of New Orleans, 
and other southern place-s. The pods are filled 
with seeds and a mucilage, ol a bland and high- 
ly nutritious quality. Hence, tlie okra is Ire- 
quently recommended to persons afflicted with 
dysentery and other bowel complaints, eaten 
either hoi led or made into soup. When butter- 
ed andepieed, 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 are abundant in the Philadelphia market. 
Those who become once accustomed to this 
wholesome vegetable, contract a great fondness 
for its peculiar flavor. In Lousiana, and other 
southern States, a dinner is scarcely considered 
complete without okra cooked in some way or 
other; and the poor consider it one ol their 
greatest blessings. The pods are of a proper 
size when 2 or 3 inches long, but may be used 
as long as they remain tender. II fit for use^ 
they will snap asunder at the ends-; but if too 
old and wcody, they must be rejected. One 
peck of the tender pods are to be cut crosswise 
into very thin slices, not exceeding one-eighlfi 
ol an inch ia thickness; to thie quantity, add 
about one-third of a peck of tomatoes, previous- 
ly 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, with about 
2j gallons ol water, and a very small quantity 
of salt. This is permitted to boil a few min- 
utes, when the scum is taken off, and the okra 
and tomatoes are thrown in. With these in- 
gredients, in the proportions mentioned, the soup 
is very fine. Still, .some think it improved by 
