67 



The flowers appear in the late autumn. Though termed peren- 

 nial, it must be remembered that each corm, which may be re- 

 garded as a joint of a short vertical rhizome, has but a duration 

 of two years. 



The mode of collection and preparation of saffron *varies some- 

 what in different countries, although in all it consists essentially 

 in removing the stigmas with the upper part of the style from the 

 other parts of the flower, and afterwards drying the parts thus de- 

 tached. In France, the flowers are gathered at the end of Septem- 

 ber or the beginning of October, after which the stigmas with the 

 end of the style, are quickly removed ; and these parts are then 

 immediately dried on sieves over a gentle fire, the drying process 

 only taking half an hour. In the Abruzzi, the gathering takes place 

 in the early morning, at the latter part of October and during the 

 whole of November. The CDllectors are chiefly women, who are 

 furnished for the purpose with wicker baskets, which they place 

 on their arms, and as they pass along the furrows left as pathways 

 between the ridges of saffron plants, they pluck the whole flowers 

 and place them in their baskets, in which they carry them home : 

 the stigmas being removed afterwards at leisure, and then dried. 



Saffron was formerly in great repute as a stimulant, antispasmo- 

 dic, and emmenagogue ; but at present it is scarcely ever employed 

 for such purposes. Its chief use in medicine is as a colouring 

 and flavouring agent. As a condiment it is, however, still much in 

 use in various parts of the Continent, as in Austria, Germany, 

 and Switzerland ; and to some extent even in parts of Great 

 Britain. In India saffron is extensively employed by the natives 

 in their religious ceremonies, as also in medicine, and as a condi- 

 mentary substance. Saffron is also used by bird fanciers, as 

 h2y b3lia/3 it assists the moulting of birds. 



THE CULTURE OF THE CENTRAL AMERICAN 



RUBBER TREE, Vlll.f 



{Continued from Bulletin for February.) 



By O. F. Cook, Botanist in charge of Investigations in Tropical 



Agriculture, U. S. Department of Agriculture. 



CASTILLO A AS A SHADE TREE. 



The substitution of Castilloa or other rubber-producing species 

 for the unproductive shade trees commonly grown with coffee, 

 cacao, and other tropical crops has been persistently advocated 

 ever since the subject of rubber culture began to receive popular 

 attention. The advantage of such a plan appears so obvious and 



*See Bentley and Trinien's Medicinal Plants. 



t Extract from the U. S. Department of Agricu Iture. Bull. No. 49, Bureau of 

 Plaat Industry. 



