1883.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
183 
;and the fact of its richness in oil—it does not 
iseem to be any more generally cultivated 
than it was twenty-five years ago. The cul¬ 
ture is very easy ; furrows are made 30 to 
36 inches apart, and the tubers, first soaked 
if very dry, are dropped a foot apart and 
covered about an inch. The crop is to be 
kept clean by using a cultivator between 
the rows and hoeing in the rows. When 
frost or cool weather stops the growth, the 
hogs are turned in to do the harvesting, 
enough tubers for seed being first secured. 
The yield, on fair land, is said to be about 
200 bushels to the acre. If any of our 
Southern friends cultivate the Chufa as a 
regular crop, we hope they will send us 
their experience with this plant. 
Ornamental Flowering Shrubs. 
Not very many years ago nearly every 
place, large or small, had its lilacs and snow- 
Fig. 1.—THE CAROLINA ALLSPICE. 
balls, and but little else in the way of flower¬ 
ing shrubs. These we would not discard, 
but would add to them. The abundant in¬ 
troductions of flowering shrubs within the 
past 20 or 30 years allow a great variety in 
planting. By proper care in selection, a con¬ 
tinuous succession may be secured, and if we 
take fruit into the account as well as flowers, 
we may employ shrubs for ornament nearly 
Fig. 2.—SECTION OF FLOWER. 
the year round. Those who would plant 
largely of shrubs will, of course, make a 
•study of the descriptive catalogues. Our 
present object is to point out a few shrubs 
that are not particular as to soil, and are 
satisfactory as to their flowers. We have 
often called attention to the fact that one. by 
making use of the wild shrubs of his locality, 
may ornament his place in a satisfactory 
manner without the outlay of a dollar. One 
of the shrubs that everybody wants, no mat¬ 
ter how many others he may have, is Caly- 
canthus, the “ Carolina Allspice.” This is 
also called the “Sweet-scented Shrub,” the 
name being often abbreviated to “Shrub.” 
The floAvers are far from showy, being of an 
unattractive form, and of a dull red or reddish- 
purple color. The 
fragrance is remark¬ 
ably fruit-like, being 
compared by some to 
that of strawberries, 
and by others to that 
of melons. There are 
several species in 
North America, but 
none with more frag¬ 
rant flowers than C. 
floridus{ fig. 1), found 
from Virginia, south¬ 
ward and westward. 
The structure of the 
flower is rather puz¬ 
zling at first; a cross 
section, made like that in figure 2, shows 
that there is no marked distinction between 
bracts, calyx and corolla, but that these parts 
pass one into another, and are all colored 
alike. The fruit, rarely if ever matured in 
cultivation, is shown in fig. 3. This has, in 
some parts of the country, the reputation of 
being poisonous to horses. The Calycanthus 
begins to flower in June, and continues for 
two or three months. 
Among the earliest of shrubs is Forsythia, 
which, with its cheery, bright yellow flowers 
coming among the very first, merits the name 
of ‘ ‘ Golden Bell. ” The species first intro¬ 
duced from Japan is the best; it has leaves of 
a very deep green, as expressed in the specific 
name, Forsythia viridissima. The long slen¬ 
der branches of this may be trained against 
a trellis, fence, or building, with good effect. 
Diervilla, when first introduced, was called 
“ Weigqla,” which will, no doubt, be re¬ 
tained as a garden name. There are several 
species and a number of garden varieties, 
which are among the most desirable of 
shrubs, giving flowers from pure white, 
through rose to deep red. Of early shrubs 
there is a great profusion; besides those 
named, there are the Bush Honeysuckles, 
Japan Quinces, Flowering Currants, the 
Mock-Oranges, Spiraeas in several species, 
the Deutzias, and others, which keep the 
garden gay during the early months. In 
planting shrubs, the late-flowering ones 
should not be overlooked. Among the most 
popular of these is the “ Rose of Sharon,” 
Hibiscus orientalis, of which there are now 
some very fine double varieties. One of the 
best of recent shrubs is the “ Large-panicled 
Hydrangea (H. panicidata-grandiflora), its 
enormous panicles of flowers, at first white, 
then pinkish, and dull red in autumn, last 
for a long while at a season when but few 
shrubs are in bloom. Among the little 
known shrubs is the Tamarix ( Tamariscus 
Gallica), from Europe, which has long, slen¬ 
der branches, to which the many minute 
leaves give a heatli-like appearance. The 
small flowers, in slender spikes, produced in 
July and August, are pinkish, and useful in 
bouquets. The end of a branch of the natu¬ 
ral size is given in figure 4. Tamarix is on* 3 
of the few shrubs that will flourish near 
Fig. 3. —CALYCANTHUS 
FRUIT. 
the sea, a peculiarity which makes it A-alua- 
bleto some. Of course roses, rhododendrons, 
azaleas, and other florist’s flowers will be 
planted by those Avho can afford the expense. 
Our object is to point out some good, inex¬ 
pensive shrubs which require no special care. 
Ground Preparation for Pear Orchards. 
BY A PRACTICAL GROWER. 
Everything should be done, at the start, to 
insure a good growth the first few years, for 
a stunted tree seldom recovers, and, even 
when it does, much valuable time has been 
lost which cannot be regained. In the pre¬ 
paration of the soil, care should be taken to 
have it in as fine a condition as it is possible 
to make it, and free from weeds, sod, etc. 
For this purpose, it is desirable to have the 
land intended for the orchard, put in corn or 
other hoed and cultivated crop, for one or 
two seasons before the trees are set out, 
which will make the land friable and in good 
order to receive the roots of the young trees. 
Where it can be done, we would advise hav¬ 
ing the land deeply and carefully plowed, late 
in the fall preceding the spring, in which it is 
expected to plant the trees. No harrowing 
should then be done, but the land should be 
left just as the plow leaves it, and the action 
of the winter’s frost will act on it, making 
the soil loose and in good order. In the 
spring, as early as the ground will admit, 
Fig. 4.— BRANCH AND FLOWER OF TAMARIX. 
the plot should be again ploAved, at right 
angles with the previous plowing, and should 
be made fine by the harrow, roller, clod- 
crusher, etc. Where it is necessary to apply 
manure, do not apply directly to the trees, 
in the holes before planting, but apply it 
