December r, 1882.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



529 



GROUND LIMESTOXE AS A FEETILIZEE. 



[The enclosed letter from W. H. Jordau, Prof, of Agri- 

 cullure in the Penna. Statu College, to " J. C. F., " Alleg- 

 heny Co., discusses the subject of Gro'.ind Liuie-stoue as 

 a fertilizer, and with his consent we lJubli^ll it. — Eds.] 



Two facts can be stated which wi'ii probably help you 

 in stttliug this matter of the use of Ground Limestone. 

 First — Neither caustic lime (burnt) nor ground limestone 

 is a fertilizer proper. The latter is mainly Carbonate of 

 Lime, auvl the former is mostly Lime, the Carbonic Acid 

 having been -Iriveu otf by heat. It would be a rare case 

 where it wou:d be necessary to add either lime or lime- 

 stone to supply lime for the use of plants. Both substances, 

 if they are of benefit, are so because they liberate material 

 in the soil which plants take up in growth, that had not 

 preWously been available. So you see tliat instead of add- 

 ing auy valuable plant foo(i to the soil, lime really makes 

 it poorer in material for future growth. AVheu you add 

 to the soil barn-yard manure or commercial fertilizers, you 

 are supplying just that material with which land that is 

 cropped needs replenishing. 



Secondly — Ground limestone can do nothing that cannot 

 be accomplished by caustic lime. The only difference be- 

 tween the two is that the limestone contains Carbonic Acid 

 which burned lime does not. The Carbonic Acid is not 

 only of no use to plants when applied to the soil com- 

 bined with lime, but rather the chances are greatly in fa- 

 vor of hme doing more good without it. The decomposing 

 effect of lime is principally what gives it value to the 

 farmer, and if there is any difference in this respect, it 

 certainly must be in favor of biu-ued lime rather than 

 the limestone. In our fertilizer experiments this year on 

 the Central Experimental Farm, we applied lime to one 

 plot, and ground limestone to another. The yield of oats 

 per acre was exactly the same in the two cases, and but 

 little more than where no fertilizer was applied. No dif- 

 ference could be seen between the plots on which the 

 two substances were applied ; 50O lb. of each were used 

 on one-eighth of an acre. The experiment wiU be conti- 

 nued during a term of several years. 



If burned lime can be bought more cheaply than ground 

 limestone, as I understand it can, I would prefer the burned 

 lime by all means. And, let me add, that the only pro- 

 per use of lime is on land to which considerable barn- 

 yard manure or other fertilizer is applied. The use of hme 

 without any true fertilizer has in numerous ca.ses resulted 

 in impoverished and broken down fields. — American Agricul- 

 turist. [Professor Jordan saj^s nothing of one of the chief 

 uses of lime, — that of improving the mechanical condition of 

 stiff clay soils. — Ed.] 



♦ ■ 



GRAZES IN AMERICA ABOUT NEW PRODUCTS: 

 THE CULTURE OF SAFFRON AND OTHER DRUGS. 



Every now and then there is an excitement concern- 

 ing unusual crops — the " jMulticaulis craze" on a small 

 scale over again. Many of our readers may recollect the 

 " Coffee plant, " which was to allow every farmer to grow 

 his own coffee, and have an abundance to sell. No doubt 

 the one who sold the seeds of the Chick Pea at a large 

 price for a small packet, found the ''Coffee plant " profit- 

 able. "SVliere is it now ? About a dozen years ago excite- 

 ment prevailed all along the line over opium culture. A 

 person in Vermont had raised the poppy, and collected 

 opium. The same man sent a sample of opium to a 

 Philadelphia chemist, who certified tliat the sample con- 

 tained even more Morphia than the best imported opium, 

 and many were the inquiries from those who would at 

 onoe go into poppy growing and opium gathering. 

 Sometimes the best cure for such a craze is, not to op- 

 pose it, but to give the details of the particular culture. 

 Of course, the production of opium here and there in a 

 small way, was no new thing, and knowing that one of 

 our friends in Wisconsin had beeu successful in it, he at 

 our request gave the process in full, from sowing the pop- 

 py, to collecting the minute yieiil. Every neces.sary slop 

 was given, and every operation that he described was 

 necessary to success. Probably every farmer who read these 

 clearly descril)ed details, was at once cured of all desire 

 to cultivate opium. So far as we are aware,the only one who 

 made auy money out of opium cultur*' was the Vermont 

 man. who sold seeds of the "Genuine Opium Poppy," 

 (kept at all seed stores), and a book of directions. 



Just now there are inquiries about Saffron. Some one 

 has asertained that the wholesale price of Saffron is §15 

 or more per pound. He knows that the plant will gi-ow 

 in this comitry, for 50 years ago his graud-mother used to 

 have it in her garden, and collecte.i the Saffron. Now 

 he would kuow where the seeds can be had, about the 

 cultivation, etc. It is quite likely that an article has ap- 

 peared in somi- paper, setting forth the probable profits 

 of Saffron culture, though we have not yet seen it, but 

 these unusual inquiries are generally to be traced to such 

 a source. Saffron is worth glo per pound, and our in- 

 quirer is right in the fact that his grand-mother used 

 to collect saft'ron. But this Saffron, is not tliat Saffron. 

 There is Saffron and Saffron, the one beiug $15, and the 

 other SO'50 per lb. 



The plant to which the correspondent refers, though 

 usually called Safiron, is more properly Safliower, Its bo- 

 tanical name is Carthamus tinctorius. It is closely related 

 to the Thistles, and may be described as a thistle-like plant, 

 a foot or two high, with smooth, but prickly leaves, and 

 heads of dark orange-colored flowers. It is an annual, and 

 its seeds may be had at the seed stores. The plant' has 

 been cultivated in Eastern countries so long, that its native 

 place is unknown. Formerly it was used in immense 

 quautities as a dye, and the commerce in it has been 

 large. A few generations ago it was usual to devote a 

 part of the garden to those medicinal plants in common 

 use, and Saffiower had a place with Balm, Rosemary, Rue, 

 and others, which were duly cut, and hung m the garret 

 to dry, for use " in case of sickness. " Who does not re- 

 member the odor of the old garret ? As to the Safflower, 

 or "Saffron, " the flowers were pulled from the heads, 

 dried, an'\ put away in papers. They are not regarded as 

 having auy medicinal qualities, but some years ago a fam- 

 ily was regarded as poorly prepared for measles without 

 them. So much for that "Saft'ron. " The other, or real 

 Saffron, is a peculiar product, and is obtained from a 

 species of Crocus ((". sativus,) which, as the eugraving 

 shows, is much like the eommm spring crocuses of the 

 gardeu, but it blooms in autumn. It is supposed to be a 

 native of Asia Minor, but has become naturalizod in most 

 European countries ; it is sometimes seen in cultivation in 

 our gardens. Like other crocuses, this has a long style, the 

 ovary being down below ground, aud divides at the top 

 to form three stigmas, as shown separate in the engrav- 

 ing. It is this part which forms the true Saffron. The 

 flowers are gathered in the morning, these stigmas sep- 

 arated,and the rest of ihe flower thrown away; they are dried 

 on paper aud sent to market loose, or are pressed to 

 form cakes. It has been found that it takes 4.320 flowers 

 to yield stigmas enough to make one ounce of Saffron — of 

 course 16 times as many to make a pound, and our in- 

 quiring friend may consider, whether, if he had the plants 

 all cultivated to his hand, he could afford to do the col- 

 lecting of these stigmas even at what seems to be the 

 high price of S15 per lb. 



One may say of the true Saffron, that while in early 

 times it was supposed to have valuable medicinal pro- 

 perties, it is now used only for coloring aud flavoring 

 some medicinal compounds, and for this purpose the de- 

 mand is much less than formerly. We gladly enough 

 encourage every culture that promises profitable results, 

 but there are many, like that of opium and saffron, that 

 we know must end in failure, whatever may be the price 

 of the product, and we feel that we do our readers a 

 good service in showing them the facts upon which our 

 belief is founded. — American Aiiriculturist. 



[Saffron is a main ingredient in -'Sinhalese curries."— Ed.] 



♦ 



OI;OHID CULTIVATION IN DEMERARA. 



In cultivating Orchids in G?orgetown the great impedi- 

 ments are the sea breeze and the dry seasons. As this 

 breeze is strongest in very dry weather, it is absolutely 

 necessary that some protection, either natural or artificial, 

 be provi.icfl to prevent the wrinkling of the pseudobuibs, 

 and Ultimate death of the plants. I have grown most of 

 the native species, and though they are not so showy as 

 some of the' Indian and Central American kinds, yet 

 some of them are very fine, and others interesting and 

 curious. Sincf Darwin's researches the genera Catasetum 

 and Coryanthes have become specially interesting, but they 

 do not appear, to judge by your columns, to be very 



