J.vM'AKy X, jgfif'.] THE TROPICAL AORJCULTVniST. 



473 



grains,' ' black grains,' and ' foxy,' the latter (killed 

 by tlie first plan) boiug iireferroil. A\1ieu dried, the 

 cochineal presents the form of convex griiius, each 

 about au eighth of au inch in diameter, with the 

 transverse wrinkles still visible. 



'• An inferior i|Uality of insects, called si/leestre, 

 which is indigenous to a wild species of cactus, is 

 frequently gathered and sold for the better variety, 

 and sometimes the species become mixed without 

 design on the part of the planter. Occasionally a 

 bug distemper breaks out and devastates entire 

 plantations, ns in Gualeniala a few years ago, when 

 the haciendados were obliged to clean out the old 

 stock, root and branch, and begin anew, 'i'he Coc<-ii.^ 

 Ciicli are also fed upon by birds, mice and the larvse 

 of other insects — the latter destroyers sucking out 

 their bodies and leaving oiJy the empty skins." 



A LICOUICK PLANTATION. 



Several days ago, while at the ranch of Isaac Lea, 

 some two miles north of Florin, in this country, a 

 representative oC the '15ee' had his attention cal'ed 

 to a field covered with what appeared to be alfalfa, 

 bnt which he was a.«8ured by Mr. Leu was licorice, 

 and any dt)ubts were speedily dispelled when a piece 

 of the root was dug up and sampled. Blr. I.ea has 

 thi'oe acres covered with this valuable root, will plant 

 another acre this Winter, and contemplates adiling 

 to his field every year. This is certainly the only 

 licorice plantation this side of the Kooky Mountains, 

 and, so far as known, the only one in the United 

 JStates. The following hiterestiug information in 

 regard to the matter was gathered in conversation 

 with ?lr. Lea. It seems that twenty years ago he 

 had a package of roots sent out to him from Kng- 

 land by mail for planting, but they failed to reach 

 him, and three times since ho has had cuttings 

 mailed which invariably were lost in transit. 



About Sevan years ago he prevailed on a friend 

 to bring some of the root from England ui his 

 trunk. It was ten weeks before it reached Mr. Lea's 

 hands, anTl in that time had grown several inches 

 in its wrappings of moistened paper. It was success- 

 fully planted, however, and from it has come not 

 only the three acres seen by the writer, but a consider- 

 able (juantity which has been sold and sent to different 

 sections for planting. 



The plant, as it grows in the field, so much 

 resembles alfalfa that only close inspection will 

 detect the difference. A single green stalk grows 

 above the ground about the size and general appear- 

 ance of an alfalfa stalk, with similar little green 

 leaves. There are two systems of roots to each 

 plant — first, the tap root, of a chocolate color, which 

 is sometimes as much as three inches in diameter, 

 and will run down as much as six feet. In soils of 

 this de;)th there will be but one such root, while 

 in shallow soils there will be three or four. A 

 little below the crown of the tap root grow out 

 the lateral roots in all directions. They are of a 

 lighter color and much smaller th.iu the tap root, 

 increase in diameter as tliey go away from it, and 

 bear mimerons buds about an inch apart. The tap 

 root has no such buds. Every year the end of each 

 lateral root buds and sends out five or six shoots, 

 which will attain a length of .ibout eight feet in 

 the season, and then the end of each one buds 

 and sends out more shoots until the ground is a 

 perfect uotework of roots. The top lies down in 

 the Autumn and comes up again from the root in 

 the .Spring. The jilant is very tenacious of life 

 and spreaila and multiplies as rapidly as morning 

 glory. The fibre of the root is very tougii »ud 

 wonid make excellent tics for hop*"!", if it were not 

 more valuable for other purposes. The jilant matures 

 in three years, and the crop is then harvested— in 

 England by digging by hand, bnt here where 

 labor is high it is found "belter to use a plow which 

 penetrates about fifteen inches. The lateral roots 

 are more juicy and valuable than the tap roots, 

 though both Rie ut'ilizcd, As soon as a field is 



I cleared it is replanted, and of course a succession 

 of crops .should be provided for by planting a, fi»ld 

 each season. 

 j For planlii;;, tha small ends of the lateral roots 

 I are used, cut into pieces of about three inches in 

 ! length, that securing several buds on each. These 

 cuttings are planted one every ten inches in rows 

 four feet apart, and then cultivated between until 

 the growth of the roots interferes with cultivation. 

 Mr. T a has given but little care to his crop. It 

 mi-fThL iiQ added tliat tho soil on his place is a red 

 cla^', not more than from fifteen to thirty inches 

 deep, with tlu- • ^ .Irock immediately below it. Li(;o- 

 rice is valuable, not oidy for me licinal purposes, 

 hut for otiier and widely ililTerent ones as well. In 

 Kngland the green root is kept for sale in every 

 candy store, and the children purchase anil enjoy it 

 as thoy would candy. To retain its juice for tins 

 and other purposes it is packed in eand immediately 

 after being dug and kept there till needed. The green 

 root is also used in the manufacture of porter, bi^inif 

 boiled in tho malt ; and doubtless one reason that we 

 import all our jjorter is because wo do not grow 

 licorice. The dried root is used in mediciuc and 

 extensively chewed by the .\mericau youngster because 

 the luxury' of the green root is ludcno-.vn to him. 

 Mr. Lea states that llie yield per acre is between 

 30 and 4U tons nf the green root. Taking the lowest 

 figures he will liavo from an acre f)0,OG'0 pounds 

 green or 20,000 pouuds dried licorice, which, at 13 

 cents, would biing Si!,CiOO. Allowing S200 for plant- 

 ing, cultivation and gathering of erup ami sending 

 it to market, he would ■ have $2, -100 net return from 

 one acre in three years. Eight huudi-od dollars per 

 acre is not at all bad. — SjACr.vjiento Bee. — Madras Mail. 



NORTH-WEST NEW ZE.'ULAND AND SUB- 

 TliOl'ICAL CULTIVATION. 

 Mr. Alfred Yarborough, an old resident in Niiw 

 Zealand, has published an interesting little pamphiet, 

 entitled, " A New Field for Kmigration — the North- 

 Wcst of NtMv Zealand." As he truly saya, the Noi th- 

 Western corner of New Zealaiul has not hitherto 

 received that attention at the bands of the F-nglish 

 public that its capabilities merit. SVhether because 

 the climate partakes of a sub-trupical nature, or be- 

 cause the fear of native dilliculties has kept tlie 

 emigrant away, or becau.se the natiu'e of the soil is 

 not tho same as that to which the Knglish farmer is 

 accustomed, is not clear; but the fact remains that 

 there exists here a fairly extensive field for E\iro])ean 

 emigrants who have the co irage and the technics] know- 

 ledge to go a little out of the be>ateu tracks. If English 

 emigrants lio not care to venture upon silkworm cult- 

 ure, or wine and olive growing, or on the other similar 

 industries for which this district is admirably sniteil, 

 Italian emigrants, whose eyes seem turiu'd more t - 

 wards .South .V'nciica than any o'.her part of the world, 

 would find a country here after their own heart, with 

 opportunities for self-advancement denied to them in 

 their own country. A few Italians have already 

 settled their. Mr. Yarborough states that an Italiin 

 Colonist, Federli by name, has given a great deal of his 

 time to the rearing of silkworms and the culture of sub- 

 tropical fruits, and has now settled down with some 

 friends in Hokianga, with the intention of throwing 

 his whole attention into the subject. It is quite clc.ir, 

 from his experiments, that so far as climate and other 

 natural conditions arc concerned, the north-west of 

 New Zealand is exceedingly well adapted for the in- 

 dustry, bnt it will be necessary to grow the white 

 mulberry to an extensive degree bef< re this industry 

 can bo greatly develope<l. The land is well suited for 

 the growth of this tree, as well as of the olive and 

 orange, ami many other fruit-growing plants. Vines, 

 especially the more hardy descriptions, such as the 

 Isal)ella, grow in the grcalest profusion, and bmr 

 remarkably good crops, the snil, whirli is volennie, 

 being admirably adapted for tile cultivation of Ibis 

 plant. The majority of English settlers, however. 

 have uot the ruijuisitQ knowledge to bring tlio fruit- 



