Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-08-13

sunshine is as golden TO the farmer as to
the poets vision. 10 him it is real Mi
das. changing every thing it touches into
gold. These few weeks of extreme heat
give US many of the advantages Of the
tropics; without their evils. Our great
cereal crop is of southern origin, and is
only made a success by the torrii heats of
July and August. 1t luxuriates in the
sunshine, when the Thermometer points to
a hundred, and bears drouth better than
any other Of our crops 1t is often a fail
ure in the nor, hern belt. where it is cult
waited. from the want of a single week Of
hot weather. 1t may droop at midday,
but it grows apace at night, when heat
drives steep from the farmers pillow
These fierce burning days. then, mean
great crops of Indian corn. The bright
rays are TRANSMITTED into the golden grain.
and when sold become the real gold in the
farmers purse Our country is the Para
disc of this plant, and one can hardly COM
prehend the magnitude of the corn crop
1t is easy to write a thousand millions of
bushels, but diff cult to take in the concep-
ton of so vast a bulk. 1t is nearly a
bushel for every inhabitant of the globe, +.
and thirty bushels to every one Of our own
population. What countless stores of food for
man and beast are showered upon us in the
sunlight! The crop this year, well sold,
would pay the years expenses for our
great war.
These hot days aiso mean melons, one of
Nature 8 boun iful provisions to slake the
thirst Of parched lips, and cool the fevered
blood. We see them luxuriating in the
sands Of Long Island and the Jerseys, and
even far up the valleys Of the Connecticut
and the Hudson, as juicy and high favor
ed as in the CarolIuas. In some localities
they require a little help from the garden
er's art, but in this latitude they are as
sure as Indian corn. They are grown
very extensively, and could be produced in
any quantity were there a market for
them. We see them 10 huge piles on the
boats and wharVes. and at the green-gro-
GERS. They are sent far inland to the cit
les and rural villages, wherever the sales
will pay. They form a much more health
ful dessert than pies and are quite as well
Ie.ished.
In these tropical days tomatoes are a
possibility. They have become a popular
dish within tie last twenty years, and are
low almost as widely known as the Gu
cunber. They propagate themselves even
more readily. and flourish as 4 Weed where
they have once been introduced, if they
are lot carefully gathered in the fall
Though not generally relished al FIST,
most people become very tcnd Of Them af-
ter a short acquaintance, 50 that they even
.supplant the cucumber. They are a much
more healthful and nutritious dish, and
what the doctors lose the people will gain,
when it entirely dlsplaces its rival. Tho
not SO great an acquisition as its congen-
er, the potato, 1t came much more rapidly
into general Use, and is an article OF con-
commercial Importance. There
is Arrays a large demand Tor tomatoes In
their season, which covers about two
but which may be almost inde6- !
nately extended by putting up the fruit In
cans and Jars.
A large part Of the favori IS Of our gar r
and tomatoes, squashes and
egg plant and okra, pepp-rs and
sweet potaJoos-are natives OF the tropics. :
They have OeeD introduced among Us with.
out any concerted action, and stand upon
their own merits. Some OF them require a 7
more skill and care in their euluVa-
ton than indigenous plants, but they are
likely to grow in popular esteem as horti- :
culture becomes every year more generally
appreciated. We have no reason to be- =
lieve that these plants exhaust the list of
vegetables from the south that may
accllmated III the n5rth. me happy ac-
cidents that have brought these TO our no.
will gradually introduce others. Ev-
cry such acquisition is ar addition to tie
of families, and to the national
Health and refinement are both (
promoted by the variety Of food which the :
consumes.
Baron Liebig measures the civilization :
Of a people by The quantity Of soap they v
consume. A still better test is the varle-
y OF fruits and Vegetables they produce in =
gardens. The tropical man wiki his u
everlasting rice and plantians, and the
LSA 4d III AuC1I ECd1 duu D4uIDEE -
lTe rather low types OF humanity. BE-
.ween these extremes We fud a greater va
of food and a higher degree of civili- "
.a,ion. But this is not purely a matter
If climate. Upon the same line Of lati- =
Jude in our country, We find very different
-ables S, read for human repasts, even n
among farmers. In ole home you may =
ind almost evtry thing hat will grow In
he climate, taking its turn upon the table =
q Its season. The Strawberries COM in
Nay and the apples go out in April of the D
Ollowing year, a succession of good things.
hat make the meal hours pleasant reunions
# the whole family. In another you shall :
ind the everlasting hog and hOminy in
ONE OF Its forms every day of the year. or D.
and salt junk the prominent fea-
ures at dinner for six days in the week.
he vegetable garden is regarded as a nui. =
anee and the fruit yard and orchard are
Unknown. "Familiarty breeds con empt' IT
nth things, if not with persons, and the {
anne dish at dinner, after a while makes a =
morose, and unsoeial. A new dish
a nest Of new ideas. A smile lights
very counteuance and the tongue is un- i
We forget dog-daysi il gumbO soup =
chicken salad, and other such-like
And no idea IL more erroneous,
ian that it is wrong to seek after enjoy. pe
Ii eating. We ought to enjoy our :
cd, and if We cultivate simple tastes, the +
eater variety We have, the better -
Nerican 4gricuhurist.