474 
Licorice. 
(  \m.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I     Oct.  1,  1874. 
upon  a  recent  visit  to  the  former  locality,  is  considered  more  valuable 
than  that  imported  from  abroad.*  The  shrubs  present  the  appear- 
ance of  an  ash  plantation,  from  which  they  could  scarcely  be  distin- 
guished at  a  distance.  The  stems  are  from  three  to  four  feet  high, 
growing  erect,  equal  in  thickness  to  a  middling-sized  willow,  and 
covered  with  dull  green  colored  leaves,  clammy  to  the  touch  on 
their  under  side.  The  flowers,  which  are  of  a  pale  blue,  are  suc- 
ceeded by  very  short  smooth  pods  containing  three  or  four  seeds. 
The  length  of  time  required  for  maturity  is  from  three  to  four  years, 
when  the  roots  can  be  taken  up  and  the  proprietor  may  expect  to 
derive  some  return  for  his  outlay  in  rent  and  labor.  The  depth  to 
which  these  strike  downwards  often  compares  with  the  height  of  a 
man,  and  the  soil  needs,  therefore,  to  be  of  a  deep  sandy  loam,  en~ 
tirely  free  from  stones,  which  cause  the  roots  to  become  crooked  or 
warped,  and  thus  diminish  the  value  of  the  licorice  as  a  salable  com- 
modity. 
The  same*  land  will  produce  a  continuous  crop,  but  then  a  good 
addition  of  manure  is  needed,  about  forty  or  fifty  tons  per  acre,  de- 
pending upon  the  previous  richness  of  the  soil.  The  ground,  to  be 
properly  prepared,  must  be  spade  trenched  to  the  depth  of  four  or 
five  feet,  and  laid  in  ridges  upon  the  top  until  the  spring  ;  when  the 
mould  has  become  pulverized  the  ridges  can  be  levelled  and  prepared 
for  planting,  the  best  time  being  the  month  of  March.  The  beds  are 
three  or  four  feet  wide,,  and  these  must  be  kept  clean  during  the 
summer,  and  about  November,  when  the  sap  has  descended,  and  the 
tops  appear  yellow,  the  old  stems  or  stalks  are  cut  off  close  to  the 
ground  with  a  sharp  pruning  knife,  the  spaces  between  the  rows  being 
turned  over  and  left  rough.  The  roots  are  usually  dug  up  with  a 
large  three-pronged  fork,  and  stacked  in  trenches,  and  this  stacking 
is  effected  in  a  dry  and  sheltered  place,  the  roots  being  placed  upright 
with  layers  of  sand  between  them,  and  a  good  layer  of  several  inches 
thick  on  the  top.  In  this  manner  the  stock  is  preserved  by  the  pro- 
prietor until  required  for  market.    Near  Pontefract  the  licorice  is 
*  Some  years  ago,  an  attempt  was  made  to  cultivate  the  licorice  plant  in 
several  parts  of  the  United  States  on  a  somewhat  extended  scale,  and  with 
apparent  success.  It  would  be  of  great  interest  to  learn  whether  the  cultiva- 
tion is  still  continued  or  has  been  abandoned,  and  in  the  latter  case  to  learn 
the  causes  of  failure.  Can  any  of  our  readers  supply  us  with  some  facts? — 
Editor  Am.  Journ.  Pharm. 
