MR. 0. CORDER ON SAFFRON. 
•2i 
rubbed Avith a little sugar, gives a distinct yellow tinge to 
ten gallons of water. 
The flowers are gathered in September and October. About eight 
thousand blossoms are required to produce seventeen ounces of the 
fresh stigmas ; and these waste greatly in the process of drying, so 
that only about three ounces of the dried Saffron is the result, 
hlotwithstanding its high price, tlie cultivatioir is by no means 
always profitable, from the many difficulties attending it. Besides 
occasional injury from weather, the bulbs arc frequently attacked 
by a parasitic TTmgus which entirely destroys them. Indeed, I have 
found that it only blooms after a season like the present. Our 
present supply is mainly from Spain — from Alicante and Valentia. 
But in almost all countries its cultivation is on the decline, and in 
some, as our own, has altogether ceased. The imports in 1870 
were about forty-four thousand pounds ; but at present, only about 
half that quantity reaches us. 
As a drug it has no medicinal value, and is only retained in our 
pliarmacopocia solely on the ground of its utility as a colouring 
agent. A peculiar predilection still exists for it as a condiment, 
especially in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. This predilection 
prevails even in England, especially in Devonshire and Cornwall, 
where the use of Saffron for colouring cakes, etc., is still common. 
As a dye stuff it is but very seldom now emjdoyed, its use 
having been superseded by less costly substances. 
Camden tells us that Saffron can only be profitably grown on 
the same soil for two years, then the land becomes exhausted for 
eighteen years. It would then be suitable for Saffron again. 
