, 1862-01-08

with the assurance that all the particulars and |
items concerning the whole affair, are being
recorded, and the TRIBUNE shall have full
detail Of all that is interesting at tic earliest
possible moment. GRArEsHoT.
a Substitute for Coffee.
OwAEEco, Christian CO., IL. Jan. 8, 1862.
Editors Chicago Tribune:
I am 4 constant reader Of your valuable
paper, and it is with pleasure that I have read
YOUR agricultural columns, and I now under
take to call your attention to probably new
and strange plant called 06er 1t is probably
the lnearest substitute for coffee Of anything
that Grows in the United States. Il is South
crn plant. l have seen it growing in Mias's'
sippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and |
North Carolina. It Is 4 beautiful plant, when |
in bloon1 It grows about four feet in height, |
and las large leaf The pod boil in which |
the seed or grain grows comes out OF the
stalk Immediately above each leaf, and grows
to the length Of SIX Or eight inches, and when |
green is cooked and served up, and is thought
to be the most delicate dish in all the South
ern States. When the seed is ripe it Is very
often Drowned and used -instcad Of coffee, OF
which it is hard to perceive the difference.
When enl;grltcd from, North Carolina, my
native State, I brought some Of the seed
auaong other Kind Of seeds, aud planted them
in the spring Of 1858, merely to see if they
would grow in Christian county, Illinois, and
was astonished to see them grow better and
come to as full perfection as in any part Of the
South; and when they were ripe the pods
burstcd, and the seed fell out, aud did not
priscd to zee them coming up again, for bad
| thought the cold weather bad destroyed them;
| and believe there LAS few stalks grown on
tho Eamc piece Of ground every year Since
| planted if, and tits year cultivated few
stalks and saved the seed I have no doubt Of
its coming to perfection anywhere in this
State. shall send you one Of the pods with
the seed in it, and if you choose to plant it,
it should be done as soon as the frost is out Of
tile ground in the spring, and it will grow
without much cultivation. II you do not wish
to trouble yourself with it, you will please to
hand it to sons one that will take an interest
in such thingss
/ see You notice the raising of cotton in this
county. It has been cultivated, in small
patches, By ny neighbors ever since came to
this county. It grows the best Oh dry, rolling
land, and thriYes very we'll here. I am ac-
auaiutcd with tile cultivation Of cotton, and
| am sure that if the top bud be cut off about
the last week in August, it will very much I'M
prove the fibre in length and weight, and there
will be no yellow or frost bitten cotton. am
of opinion that there is rather too much rain
from the sangamon valley north for the sue
cessful raising Of large crops Of cotton. A{ucf
:, | rain, while it is in bloom, mdkts the young
: bolls fall otfa-9otton can be raiscd by intelli
gent, free white men better than slave laho
= xill do it, though not quiteso cleaply, bccaus
white naen work as they please, and hare to b
u paid; wbiIt slaves work for nothing, and ar
:, whipped into doing twice as much work 4
- they would do otherwise.
C Yours respectfully, SAMUEL D. ANGEL.
Acclimatien OF Cotton In Illinois.
i" Editors Tribune:
SPRINGFIELD. H., jan 9Th, 1852.
's I had the honor, as early as 1861, Of oHerin
some suggestions to tho people Of this Stat
:. in regard to the culture Of cotton. My ide
nj then, {and it remains unaltcrcd,) WAS that b
.7ir7syteation Of our great CROPS Of cotton an
sugar, the slavery question world find & natl
/ wv
~ cayried put-had the Government bega
twenty years ago, to spend the. thousand nj
lions which this war will cost in fostering Il
r. scheme, peace would now reign in onr othe
a, wisc di6traught land. Cotton would ncy
have assumed to be 'tKing.' Willie our or
section would have undergone gradu
use change, the South would have been forced,
ar sclfdefense, to also modify her pursuits, a
ai thus forego monopoly that has long cir
ers her power IN politics as well as in commerce
re- see in recent dispatch that the Cover
led ment has determined to send 4 quantity
acr cotton seed from Port Royal to the southe
Tue part Of this State. / do not look upon
'cn scheme as promising. Why? The coast
inc South Carolina is too sea77n region from Shj
m. to get seed for Illinois. To acc1iinate cottt
VIC our farmers should 1sgin aoiM the ard!! II
rc" is, seed should be gotten from the highest
a itude in which cotton has yet been successful
lar- cultivated. For instance, from Middle Tenn
see, if none can be had from southeast T.
d,v tueky, or from the eastern shore Of MaryEll
uas Let me give you little history of the Engl
's'r' applc-trte in Canada When first brought 0
de- and transplalted, it bloomcd too soon By
,ot most month. OF course the frosts nipt
,eh, blooms. Next year it Powered LATER, but
,
ter, it accommodated itself to its new local
Tell | it was acclimated- Trees grown from
nm fruit needed no such experience, nor did gr:
!, = If from the acclimated tree. By such proc
Il III the tropical tamlrand bears fruit ut Wnches
the Va; the tobacco plant perfccts in tue ConI
,usc ticut valley, and the potato IN the hlst
,o1o temperate latitude.
1ol' Every one Of our farmers, almost, kns
xpe- that corn from New England seed Hpens
nty- 1ier here than our own seed, for the rea
oat that it has been acclimated to shorter
-. son. Rye and q few other hardy cereals
seis' ture in the two o-munth season Of Siberia
ltal- such facts before rs, reason you'd seen
Used teach us that it is not to the soil SO much 4
.arr the season that cotton must be accomm<
W." ted, to become a successful crop in ulin
&c OF When our crops have been grown in Hin
tion, maturing perfect seed, the difficulty that be
1e q a wide devesi6cation Of the crop, in my opin
49,. will have been overcome. From the Ohio
~" line Of culture may be gradually pushed no
;om- ward till the center Of the State becomes
dore blooming garden Of untold wealth,
;atad Our farmers Who haze embarked in the
tuEe OF sorghum should carefully note th'
lea feet Of accllmation, beth upon the gro
+ Of Of the plant and the quality Of the saccha
Ihich secretiohs. Auo Il any OF your feaaeEs ul
r.ra take the culture Of cotton, let them se
y AAe sheltered land, sloping towards the sout
ners. possible. If a boil Of cotton can be grow
with ! i sheltered nook Of Central Illinois, its
.zers. Mil mature TIT next year in more exp
49, ptaees- Let me caution everybody agalns
ooPs' ing too largely into the culture Get the
) the dicst seed, and gradually acclimatc it.
, few Hoping these suggestions may fall
oren good ground" beg to subscribe myself
~'~A Yours. DC, CHAs. L. WHEELz