Hokus bicolor is a native of Persia. It is unqestionably not a native of any part of the United States, or even of North Ame rica; though Prush says, that sorghum saccharatum, which is nearly allied to it, is sometimes found wild in our country.
This plant thrives perfectly well in Lancaster county ; and will, probably, grow equally well in most parts of the United States. I conjecture, from its ap pearance, that, when mature, a single stalk will about a pint of seed. I will attempt an estimate, then, of the quantity of seed that may be procured from one acre of ground, planted with the Hokus ; by which it will appear, that it is not an unprofitable product.
Supposing an acre planted in rows or lines, three feet apart, so as to produce one stalk only in a hill,—and at the same distance from one another, along each row ;—the number of plants will, in this case, be 4840: and calculating that each plant will yield a pintof seed, the product of an acre will be 753 bushels. I have no means of ascertaining, just now, what quantity of meal (or flour) could be made from a bushel of seed, on separating the farinaceous parts from the rest, by grind ing and bolting in the common mode : but I will suppose, that not less than 151bs. of meal, sufficiently bolted from the bran, would be obtained, clear of the toll,— from a bushel of the seed. At this rate, an acre would yield 11341.ffis. of the flour or meal, which, if valued at only 5 cents per lb. would produce $56.72. There can be little doubt that the trouble and expense of cultivating an acre of the Hol. cos would be amply compensated by the value of the plant as fodder for cattle, when stripped of its seed, dried, and housed ; and, perhaps, some useful vege table might, besides, be planted or sown between the rows. The net profit, there. fore, of cultivating this plant would be not less than $56.72 per acre.
The seeds which produced the speci. mens, now before the society, were pro cured from the Manor, in Lancaster county, where the plant is said to be much cultivated, and the beverage a good deal in use. How the Germans of that settle ment became acquainted with the plant, or from whence they received the origi nal seeds, I had, no opportunity of learn ing. Should I visit Lancaster in the course of the next snmmer, I will endeavour, by personal inquiries at the Manor, to be come possessed of the knowledge of these interesting particulars.
At present I have given all the facts concerning this vegetable, with which I became acquainted. It appears to me, first :—That as the plant is readily culti vated, is hardy, and produces plentifully, it is worthy of some attention, on account of the farina yielded by its seed. This is
sensibly mild and mucilaginous, upon mastication, and may consequently prove extremely nutritious. Secondly : That, as it is proved to yield a pleasant bever age, with the addition only of a little but ter to those articles which are necessary to render coffee, tea, and chocolate pala table—it might, from the ease with which it is propagated, be rendered, by being well known, a cheap and nutritious sub stitute for tea, coffee, or chocolate, at the tables of the country-poor, and those re siding in country towns and villages, where each hut, however miserable, is generally furnished with a tolerable-sized garden plot.
I believe that a single plant will yield seed enough to produce, by the second year's crop, a sufficiency of flour to fur nish a poor family, of six or eight per sons, one entire year, with a good and nourishing substitute for the meagre and unhealthful liquors used by them, under the names of tea and coffee.
For 8 cents, as much of the liquor, here described, may be prepared from them, as, with a due proportion of bread—to the value, perhaps, of twelve cents—will con stitute a good and nutritive breakfast, or supper, for four grown persons ; being at the rate of five cents for each person.
I do not, however, profess myself com petent, at this time, to offer more than conjecture on these points. I have made no experiments with the plant as yet, to ascertain the proportions of mucilage and farina contained in the seeds ; but have merely thrown thus hastily together, a few facts and hints, which may perhaps prove indirectly serviceable to the poor and the peasantry.
I take the liberty of recommending the plant to the attention of surgeons, and commanders of forts, or bar racks, for to all such posts a sufficiency of ground generally appertains to admit the cultivation of enough to supply the sailors, marines, or soldiers, with an occasional meal of a grateful, and, I believe, ahealth ful beverage. My experience, both in the navy and army practice, induces me to believe, that the diet of seamen, ma rines, and soldiers, cannot be too strictly attended to, in order to preserve their health and vigour ; and when an oppor tunity is presented of furnishing all those on shore stations, and in barracks or gar risons, with a comfortable vegetable diet like the one above-mentioned, and that too without any cost, it should certainly not be suffered to pass without at least trial. 4 P. S. The calculations in the preceding paper, as to the quantity of meal a bushel of the seed would produce, is probably 100 per cent. lower than they should be.