Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
May,  1905. 
Substitution  of  American  Centaury. 
213 
based  on  the  average  of  a  number  of  years.  The  money  value  of 
this  1.259th  of  an  acre  was  between  $9.00  and  $io.co.  A  simple 
sum  in  arithmetic  will  prove  the  value  of  saffron  culture  if  sys- 
tematically conducted  with  a  view  of  making  it  an  agricultural 
industry. 
Custom  and  superstition  go  hand  in  hand  with  saffron  culture 
in  Pennsylvania.  It  is  also  interesting  to  learn  that  the  foremothers 
of  the  present  growers  of  the  saffron  realized  the  necessity  for  some 
remedy  to  counteract  the  diseases  the  bulbs  were  liable  to.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  the  two  principal  diseases  are  the  dry-rot  and  the 
other  the  death ;  the  French  name  it  la  mort,  caused  by  parasites  or  in- 
sects ;  tradition  has  taught  our  people  to  plant  garlic  (Allium  sativum) 
and  allow  it  to  occupy  intervals  between  the  rows  for  a  part  of  the 
season.  The  mole  or  ground- rat  sometimes  assails  the  saffron  bed 
also,  and  to  meet  this  enemy  the  same  teacher  has  arranged  that 
they  must  bury  a  quarter  of  a  loaf  of  bread  in  the  saffron  patch. 
About  the  time  of  picking  saffron,  when  driving  through  the 
country,  you  will  readily  observe  where  attention  is  given  to  saffron 
culture.  It  is  the  invariable  rule  to  throw  the  useless  flowers,  after 
separating  the  stigmas,  into  the  highway.  I  had  a  curiosity  to 
know  why  this  was  so  generally  done.  The  answer  was,  "  the  old 
people  always  did  so,  and  we  carry  on  the  custom."  When  further 
pressed  for  a  reason,  I  was  told  it  was  done  to  perpetuate  good 
luck.  To  insure  future  crops,  the  flowers  must  be  scattered,  not 
burned  nor  thrown  upon  the  dunghill  to  rot. 
SUBSTITUTION  OF  AMERICAN  CENTAURY. 
By  Rodnky  H.  True. 
At  the  request  of  a  prominent  Eastern  drug  house,  a  number  of 
samples  of  American  centaury  have  been  examined  in  the  labora- 
tory of  Drug  Plant  Investigations  of  the  Bureau  of  Plant  Industry, 
the  differing  appearance  of  herbs  going  by  this  name  having  aroused 
a  suspicion  that  a  partial  substitution  had  taken  place.  Samples  of 
the  types  involved  were  submitted  to  Dr.  J.  N.  Rose  of  the  National 
Herbarium,  who  found  that  in  large  part  the  material  represented 
consisted  of  Rhexia  mariana,  commonly  known  as  deer  grass  or 
meadow  beauty,  the  remainder  being  the  true  article,  Sabbatia  annu- 
laris.  Samples  from  five  other  sources  gave,  from  a  total  number  of 
