The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-01-01
For the p. C. Advertiser
The Vanilla Bean,

Mr.. EDITOR.-Pcrmit me to call your attention to
the enclosed extract from a Washington correspondent
of the Boston Tr0UeLer. An article Of commerce,
so valuable and so easily cultivated should certainly
be introduced here, and no doubt the r. Ii. a.
Society will take measures fer its immediate intro
d%uction, along with frogs, toads, and insectiverous
birds.
ssSince the appropriation of a large sum Of money
to be expended by the Agricultural Bureau, hopes
are entertained that many things will be attempted
by the Bureau. Among these is the acclimation and
propagation Of the Vanilla Bean, which is soInuch
used in favoring buildings, jellies, ices, sc. This
bean grows in Mexico, near Vera Cruz, and has be-
come very profitable to the cultivators. The Bureau
has information that last years importation of and
consumption in the United States, of this article.
amounted to 5000 pounds, at a cost of $40 per pound
or 800, 900, paying the United States a duty Of 20
per cent, or $4,000 At the present time the
Vanilla bean is selling at $50 to $40 per pound.
During the war with Mexico, when no duties were
paid to either Mexico or the United States, it could
be obtained for 81 so per pound. AS this bean has
been cultivated to some extent by the English in hot
houses, it is thought that if Government will take the
initiative, and obtain the proper cuttings, and show
how they are to be cultivated the plant can be brought
to perfection here as well as in England. 1t is also
thought that it can grow in our Southern States If
so, we can soon rival Mexico in this respect. 1t is
very probable that the Agricultural Bureau will give
all due attention to the subject, as it has been
brought to notice by one Of our most extensive dealers
in the Vanilla bean, who for the sake of introducing
it, will afford Government every facility for obtaining
the proper cuttings that his Mexican commercial con-
nectionS can beStow.'
The Sugar MiIIef.
In the Ohio CuLtivator for Nov. 1, we find the fol-
lowing article relating to the above plant, which has
been introduced into this kingdom, and which we
hope, will be found a valuable article for cultivation.
Seeds can be had at our Office.
Sugar Milet came up for discussion before the
Cincinnati Horticultural Society, on the presentation
of a couple of letters from Gov. Hammond, of South
Carolina, to Mr.. Robert Buchanan, of Ohio. Several
persons present. who have grown the sugar millet,
(known in Ohio chiefly by the name of : Egyptian
corn'') expressed themselves well satisfied that it
would be found to be a profitable addition to present
farm crops in the Ohio Valley, if used only as green
and dry fodder for cattle, which are extremely fond
of it. One member stated that when properly ground,
the seeds make good bread, and cakes almost equal to
buckwheat. Another was of the opinion that this
plant will produce much more seed to the acre than
barley, and prove of almost equal value with that
grain for malt. Several had fed it to chickens, and
thought that it might prove to be a valuable crop if
grown for poultry feed alone. None knew anything
about it as a substitute for molasses.
But this is the aspect in which Gov. Hammond's
letter presented it to the consideration Of Mr.. Bucha-
nan. In one of them, Gov. Hammond says: 81 had
half an acre planted, and only ground enough to try
it. 1t will do here, and it will also do in your climate
at Cincinnati. 1t will mature sooner than corn, and
III any climate SulLeu e lI1ElH OIL ~ uue syrup
can be made of it at a cost of eighteen or twenty cents
per gallon. On an acre of land prepared as you
would work it for sugar beets or carrots, you can,
with less labor than used for corn, grow enough millet
Ito make FIVE or six hundred gallons of syrup. You
can grind and boil three hundred to three hundred
and fifty gallons of juice per day, producing about
fifty gallons Of syrup. | have not tried it for sugar.
and [ only desire to save some $500 or $500 annually
that | expend for molasses for my people. 1t can be
kept for grinding. [ think it likely to compete with
| the SJ1par cane of Louisiana.
FATTEN1NG DURHAM CATTLE-With the sugar MIL
let is a use of the plant which became known to us a
couple of days after the meeting of the Cincinnati
Horticultural Society, during a visit to inspect some
herds in Warren country, Ohio. The seed had been
planted with the express intention of making this use
of the growth in case it should be found to answer
expectations. That it would be so found, was pre-
dicated upon the exceeding juicness and sweetness Of
the stalk. We found the cattle (seyeral thorough
bred short horns, intended for exhibition at the Ohio
\ State Fair, next at the Pennsylvania State Fair, and
then at the National Cattle Show, near Philadelphia, !
engaged at their midday repast, and never have we
seen gourmand devour oysters, snipe, woodcock
lambs fries, or any other great delicacy with a finer
relish than that with which they were eating sugar
millet. The stalks and blades are passed under the
knives of a straw cutter, and come out in pieces FROM
one to two inches long, which are fed to the animal;
four or five times a day, in such quantities as it has
been ascertained that they will eat up clean. This
and a peck of coarse meal per day to each animal i
all the food they receive, and yet they are fat enough
to enter upon exhibition nor. Observing the relish
with which they disposed of the cut naiIlet, ne took