The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1864-12-17
CIIICCORY.
Hts Culture and prephrartfon. .


Chiccory closely resembles the dandeliop
plant, and Ike it contains milky juice. 1t
grows to the height Of two or three feet, and
has a showy blue flower of about an inch or
an inch and a half in diameter. 1t blossoms
in August or September. 1t has been c4lti
waited quite extensively in the old country as
forage crop. 1t is used for salad in spring
also. As a substitute tor coffee it has long
been used. Indeed II is now cultivated al
most exclusively for this purpose. 1t has
however but iew elements III common with
coffee. Bat little prepared coffee is now
found but has been adulterated with chiccory
This has greatiy stimulated its growth, and
1t has become a very profitable crop, Sever
al farmers III this state are engaged in grow
Ing it for market On a large scale. Whole
sale grCccrs inform US that chiceory now
forms a very important item of their business
while bat :. few years ago it was hardly known
to them.
Much has been written against the use Of
tlS plant. many prominent physicians deem
ing it very injurious especially to the nervous
system. If such be The case It's now general
use ought to develope the fact very clearly
In any event, if people are to use it, it is
better for them to grow and prepare 1t them.
selves, which is a very easy matter. We late
| ly published an inquiry concerning Its cul-
| ture and preparation, which the following
communication concisely answers.
EDS. PRAIRIE FARMER For the last two
wears we have raised this plant and used II
for coffee, with entire satisfaction to ourselves
| and SO far as We know, t. all who have drank
| Of it at our table. We have procured the
| seed each year fsom Mr.. James Wick, Of
! Rochester y. Y. :J- ten cents per ounce,
| and when tue ground IS sufficiently warm in
! the spring To sow other garden .eed., we SOW
our chiccorY. 1t is sowed end cultivated Ike
carrots or parsuips and ! cannot tel how
I deep the roots would 20 provided the ground
was fist made rch and mellow.
! There Is danger Of plants standing too
/ thie K in the rows. Thev should net lie near
e. than from five 70 SIX inches in the row,
/ and the rows should be fifteen inches apart.
! Il IS well to SOW the seed thicker than tbs IN
the row. and then il the plants are too thick.
! thin them out when they ..re .a-:- enough -
! require il.
/ When the roots have attained the size Of q
mans finger they may l. pulled for use. Ii
/ i prepared i'm til following way Cat the
togs oil clos. + tie root, wa tie r-o: clean
, split r. .cugthwIse into strip, say oue-,LIrd
ot al iach thick: cut these strips Up sbou,
three -;ourths Of an inch long, asl pa, twc
, quarts Of ]: IN a common sized tn pan. and
So j, facing tue sun, anG !: viii soon lie dry
enough to ba- up and p, away. A. you
want - Use il pat IS much on a lin plate a.
You can conveniently brown at once, SET !; IL
gu.r stove oven and see well 10 :, that yol
j, not burn it, tyr II being o: 8 spJugy nature
burns very easily.
- To the quan'itv necessary for & family
al one meal ~ directions can be given. Il
IS better the second time ], Is stepped than
The first. And surar and cream "a WIZ
other coffee. AMI think YOU w,l surely b
pleased with your drink. An ounce o! see
j. >LtteiclI. for two ordinary families for =
ygar. ! have takou ont chiccory roots this
:al'. tia, we're tooa'v inches long and did
not 70, the whole then. Grea, care shoul
be taken TO gc; the whole root of the ground
or i VII. sPr3ut up the next sFriag and 90 Il
seed Tie editor of the New England Far
RE. condemns chiccory f-g tL:- and oti.e
reason. Jouy BoyYToN.
Stevenson Co, T. Nov -.