AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
305 
visions are deep, leafy glens, forest-clad 
hills, and plains luxuriously shaded, trans¬ 
port themselves for a moment to the desert, 
where but a few stunted bushes raise their 
heads above the earth, or those wild steppes, 
where the eye wanders in vain for some 
“ leafy garniture ”—where the sun strikes 
down with parching heat, or the wind sweeps 
over with unbroken fury—and they, may 
perhaps, estimate by contrast their beauty 
and value. 
SORGHUM, OR CHINESE SUGAR CANE- 
ORANGE WATERMELON-DISTRIBUTION OE 
SEEDS, 
In the latter part of May, we sowed a row 
of Sorghum, on a rather poor soil, putting a lit¬ 
tle finely ground bone in the drill. After the 
plants were up they were watered with sink 
slops, from the reservoir described in our 
June number. The plants looked sickly at 
first, but three or four waterings started them 
into rapid growth, and they are now 12 to 15 
feet in hight. Though standing within six 
inches of each other, they are about the size 
of large corn-stalks. The joints are about 
one foot in length, with a long slim leaf at 
the termination of each. The stalks are 
quite uniform—resembling a cane fishing 
pole—and are terminated at the top with an 
erect brush and seed, much like that of the 
common broom-corn. The pith is very solid, 
and to our taste about as sweet as the West 
India Sugar Cane. A full grown stalk can 
be seen at our office. 
We have some hopes that the Sorghum, 
may yet be found valuable for making sugar. 
Whether this be the case or not, it seems 
quite probable that it will be found profitable 
to sow thickly as food for cattle. We shall 
experiment further with it. As we have 
about forty stalks nearly ripened, we hope 
to have a quantity of seed to distribute to our 
subscribers in small parcels. 
ORANGE WATER MELON. 
We have this summer proved the superior 
quality of this melon, and are saving all the 
seed to be distributed. 
DISTRIBUTION OF SEEDS. 
Both of the above, and some others will 
be ready to go out in January, at the time of 
renewing subscriptions. Any of our read¬ 
ers who may have choice seeds of any kind, 
which they are disposed to scatter free of 
charge, will confer a favor upon their breth¬ 
ren elsewhere, by sending them to this office, 
and we will cheerfully undertake the labor 
of forwarding them to applicants. The 
mode of distribution will be announced here¬ 
after.— Ed. 
Article on Pears. —We have had in pre¬ 
paration a long article on pears, but owing to 
several unexpected interruptions it was not 
completed in season for this number. It will 
not be too late for the November issue which 
will be ready by the first of the month if not 
before. 
Strawberries. —“ Another Young friend 
George,” sent us a good article on Straw¬ 
berries, but it would be most too late for the 
season now. We hope to hear from him 
again on this subject next spring, and on 
other seasonable topics at all times. 
Shade Trees. —These will come in fora 
full description in our next issue. 
FALL TREATMENT OF ASPARAGUS. 
As soon as the heavy frosts come to kill 
the tops, they should be cut and removed to 
the stye, or to the compost heap. The sur¬ 
face of the beds, which has become hard, 
and perhaps weedy, should now be thor¬ 
oughly scarified with the hoe, or forked 
over, taking care not to injure the crowns. 
About the last of the month, spread on a 
heavy coating of stable manure, at least a 
half cord to every two square rods. The 
rains will carry down its fertilizing proper¬ 
ties to the roots, and give them great 
strength and vigor for an early start in the 
Spring. If near the shore, where marsh 
mud is accessible, a coating of this, one inch 
thick,in addition to the manure, will do good 
service. We have also found it an excellent 
plan to cover the beds with sea-weed or old 
hay during the winter. The roots keep 
active longer before the ground closes up ; 
the ground does not freeze so deep, and 
starts sooner in the Spring. The mulch of 
course needs to be removed as soon as the 
Winter is over. Asparagus is a gross feeder, 
and can be had in its perfection only by high 
manuring. This we believe will pay, whether 
the bed have been thoroughly prepared or 
not.— Ed. 
THE RHUBARB 
plantation needs much the same treatment, 
and so far as our observation goes, is as 
much benefitted by salt as asparagus. It 
would probably be killed sooner by an ex¬ 
cessive application, but it thrives well on a 
compost of marsh muck, and comes out 
strong and vigorous from a Winter mulch of 
sea-weed. Old plants should be dug around, 
and the earth removed a foot in depth, and 
the place supplied with rich compost, or sta¬ 
ble manure. The roots should be divided 
every third year. Larger and more vigorous 
stalks will be produced. 
New Test for the Strawberry.— At a 
late meeting of Strawberry tasters, amateurs, 
a decision as to the best variety not having 
been agreed upon, it was proposed to leave 
the question to the birds. A careful watch 
was set, and it was discovered that they 
gave a preference to Burr’s New Pine, and 
we are not sure but they have good reasons 
for their preference.—Horticulturist. 
r We seldom, if ever, solicit poetry or rhyme, 
that order of writing being too etherial for a 
plain practical journal, such as this aims to 
be. Again, “ Poets ” are among the most 
sensitive people in the world, and we should 
be in hot water continually if we attempted 
to make selections, and did not publish 
everything sent us. But we gave Indian 
Corn a hearing last month, and as the Cauli¬ 
flower has never been poetized to our 
knowledge, we conclude to print the follow¬ 
ing as received, asking due credit to the 
Agriculturist for being a pioneer in bringing 
to life the poetic merits of a member of the 
cabbage tribe, and allowing the writer full 
credit for the style of the cantata.— Ed. 
The Cauliflower. 
With all the pageantry of phrase 
Some eulogize the Lily, 
And some the Rose and Tulip praise 
With affectation silly. 
But oh! the flower of my choice 
Boasts use, with beauty’s power, 
I’ll eulogise with heart and voice 
The charming Cauliflower. 
Thy snowy charms, maturing quick, 
Cannot be much too big; 
With butter drawn (not made too thick) 
Is luscious with roast pig ! 
Oh tender flower much approved 
Gem of the festal hour, 
My lips to press thy charms are moved, 
Soft, luscious Cauliflower. 
The garden’s pride, the garden’s boast 
Ot culinary glory, 
Long may’st thou grace the boil’d and roast, 
And shine in future story. 
Oh! in seasons dry and hot 
Ne’er may’st thou want a shower, 
Nor I thy bard to fill my pot, 
A thumping Cauliflower, 
Cypress Hills, L. I. F. Bond. 
September, 15, 1859. 
HASTY PUDDING-HOW TO MAKE IT. 
A number of correspondents have thanked 
us for “ bringing out” the Hasty Pudding 
Poem in our last number, where they saw it 
for the first time. It was not so profusely 
nor so modernly illustrated as in Harper, 
but we only desired to exhibit a real old- 
fashioned earthen bowl and pewter spoon, 
which we doubt not was more familiar to 
most persons than any of the modern fixings 
would be. If any have failed to read this 
poem, let them turn back and read it now. 
Two subscribers ask us for the best di¬ 
directions for making hasty pudding or 
“ mush.” We answer, first, that corn meal 
should always be coarsely ground. The 
finest meal should be as coarse grained as 
mustard seed. Fresh corn should be ground 
at least as often as once in three or four 
weeks. The meal should be kept in a dry , 
cool room. Second : Our favorite mush is 
not a very hasty pudding. It is made thus : 
For two quarts of pudding put three quarts 
of water and one tablespoonful of salt into a 
kettle and heat it until quite warm. Then 
take out one quart of water and stir into it 
Indian meal enough to make a thick batter, 
so stiff that it will scarcely run. Work it 
over with the ladle or large wooden spoon 
until not the smallest lump remains, and 
then return it to the kettle where the other 
two quarts of water will by this time be boil¬ 
ing rapidly. It must now be kept boiling 
briskly with constant stirring for not less 
than twenty minutes, and until it has boiled 
down so much as to be hard to stir. Nothing 
but constant stirring from the bottom will 
prevent it from burning or scorching, the 
least degree of which will spoil the delicious 
taste. 
We have eaten hasty pudding in hundreds 
of families, but not one in ten cook it 
enough. The taste is usually too much like 
that of a Journey Cake (“ Johnny Cake”) 
which has only been in the oven long enough 
to heat it up to the boiling point. Such pud' 
