Lovage (Levisticum officinale) is a perennial plant of the parsley family, introduced into this country from Europe as a garden plant and now grown as a crop in certain localities in New England and the West. The root has long been supposed to have medicinal properties and is in some demand in the drug trade. The flowering tops yield a volatile oil, for which, however, there is little demand. The seeds are used for flavoring confectionery and the leaf stems are sometimes blanched, like celery, and eaten as a salad.
Lovage is propagated by division or from seeds. The seeds may be planted in the fall in drills 18 inches apart or sown in early spring in a hotbed, greenhouse, or well-prepared seed bed in a sheltered portion of the garden. They should be covered very lightly with sand or fine sifted soil, and in order to prevent the soil from drying out before the seeds germinate it is advisable to spread old burlap or sacking over the bed. The sacking may be sprinkled occasionally if the weather is dry and should be removed when the first seedlings break the soil. The plants should reach a size suitable for transplanting by the end of May, when they may be set at intervals of 8 inches in rows far enough apart for convenient cultivation. Lovage grows well in almost any deep, well-drained soil, such as will produce a fair crop of corn or potatoes, and is benefited by the liberal use of fertilizer, although heavy applications of manure tend to produce excessive top growth.
The roots may be dug in October of the second or third year after setting the plants. Numerous offsets will generally be found, and if these have good roots they may be used to renew the plantation without recourse to seed. Such shoots should at once be reset at the usual distances apart. The freshly dug roots should be well washed, cut into slices about one-half inch thick, and carefully dried. If necessary, artificial heat, not to exceed 125° F., may be used to hasten drying.
Returns from experimental areas indicate that a yield of about 1,000 pounds of dried root to the acre may be expected under good conditions every third year. The prices quoted for American lovage root in the wholesale drug markets range from 45 cents to $1 a pound, according to demand and quality. Producers, however, usually receive much less than the wholesale price.
Melissa, balm, or lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), is a perennial herb of the mint family, native to southern Europe. In this country it has long been cultivated in gardens, from which it has escaped and now grows wild in many places in the eastern United States. The leaves of balm are widely used for culinary flavoring, and the leaves and flowering tops are used in medicine. The volatile oil distilled from the plant is said to be used in perfumery and also for flavoring.
Balm grows readily on any good garden soil and is easily propagated from seeds, cuttings, or by division. The seeds may be sown in the open early in the spring, but owing to their small size it is best to sow them in shallow flats in a greenhouse or in a hotbed. The soil should be well fined and the seeds sown thinly on the surface of the soil, which is then firmed with a float or a small board. When well up, the seedlings should be transferred to deeper flats, and when 4 or 5 inches high they may be transplanted to the open and set about a foot apart in rows spaced to suit the cultivation to be given. Cultivation should be frequent and sufficient to keep the soil about the plants mellow and free from weeds.
When the plants are in full flower the crop can be cut with a scythe, or with a mower if the herb is to be used for distillation. For preparing the crude drug only the flowering tops are collected, the coarse, stemmy portions of the herb being rejected. The leaves and tops are dried in the shade in order to preserve the green color.
Yields at the rate of about 1,800 pounds of dry herb per acre have been obtained, but if only the flowering tops are collected the yield will be very materially less. The prewar price paid to collectors for the leaves and tops ranged from 3 to 4 cents a pound. In June, 1920, the price for the leaves was 15 cents a pound.
Orris (Iris florentina) is a perennial, native to southern Europe, and is cultivated chiefly in Italy for its fragrant rootstocks, which yield the orris of commerce. The plant grows well in a variety of soils and flourishes in a rich, moist loam, but roots which are grown in rather dry, gravelly soil appear to be the most fragrant. Orris is readily propagated by division of the old plants, which may be set either in the spring or fall about a foot apart in rows spaced conveniently for cultivation.
Since harvesting usually takes place only once in three years, the use of the land is required for that length of time in order to obtain one crop. After the roots are dug they are peeled and dried in the open air. The desired fragrance does not develop until after the dry roots have been stored for a number of months, during which time they are especially liable to the attacks of insects.
The yield is from 5 to 6 tons of dry root per acre. The average annual importation of orris is normally about 500,000 pounds. The wholesale prices, which before the war ranged from 6 to 10 cents, in June, 1920, were 14 to 15 cents a pound. The outlook for a profitable orris industry in this country does not appear promising, and it does not seem advisable for any considerable number of persons to undertake the growing of this crop.
Parsley (Petroselinum sativum) is a biennial herb grown everywhere in gardens for use in garnishing and seasoning. All parts of the plant contain a volatile oil, that from the seed being especially rich in a constituent known as apiol, or "parsley camphor," which is still used to some extent in medicine. In the crude-drug trade there is a small demand for the root, leaves, and seed.
A rich and rather moist soil is desirable for the growing of parsley. The seeds germinate slowly and are frequently sown early in the spring in cold frames or seed beds, from which the young plants may be removed later and set in the open in rows 12 or more inches apart and about 6 inches apart in the row. When the leaves are fully grown they may be collected and dried in theusual manner. The plants flower in the second year, and as soon as the seed is ripe it is harvested and carefully dried. At the end of the second growing season, late in October, the root may be dug and should be well washed and carefully dried. Artificial heat may be used in drying if necessary.
On small areas yields of seed at the rate of about 185 pounds per acre have been obtained. During the past few years the wholesale price of the seed has varied from 10 to 70 cents a pound, according to demand and season. From 15 to 50 pounds of seed are required to yield 1 pound of the oil, which in June, 1920, was quoted at $6.50 to $7 a pound.
Pennyroyal (Hedeoma pulegioides) is an annual plant, flowering from June to October, and is found in dry soils from Nova Scotia and Quebec to Dakota and southward. Both the dry herb and the oil obtained therefrom by steam distillation form marketable products.
Pennyroyal grows well on average upland soils and is frequently abundant on sandy or gravelly slopes. In field planting the seeds should be sown in rows in the fall and covered not to exceed one-quarter of an inch, since they rarely germinate if planted at a greater depth. The plants come up early in the spring, and to secure the best results clean cultivation and freedom from weeds are essential, as with all cultivated crops.
Early in the summer, when the plants are in full flower, they may be mowed. To prepare the herb for market the plants are dried, preferably in the shade, and carefully packed immediately after drying. All the large stems should be removed in order to improve the quality of the product. The herb should be marketed promptly, since it deteriorates with age. For the production of the volatile oil, the plants should be harvested when in full flower and distilled without drying.
Returns from experimental areas indicate that a yield of about 1,200 pounds of dry herb per acre may be expected. The yield of oil varies from 15 to 30 pounds per acre. The price paid for the dry herb usually ranges from 1 to 2 cents a pound. The wholesale price of the oil ranges from about $1 to $2 a pound.
Peppermint (Mentha piperita) is a perennial of the mint family, frequently found growing wild in moist situations throughout the eastern half of the United States. It is cultivated on a commercial scale, chiefly on the muck lands of southern Michigan and northern Indiana. The volatile oil forms the principal marketable product, but there is some demand in the crude-drug trade for the dried leaves and flowering tops.
Peppermint is propagated from "roots," or runners, which should be set in an almost continuous row in furrows about 3 feet apart and covered to a depth of about 3 inches. It can be grown on any land that will produce good crops of corn, but is most successful on the muck lands of reclaimed swamps. On uplands it soon exhausts the soil and will not do well for more than two or three seasons without the rotation of crops. On rich muck lands it will grow for a number of years, the soil being plowed after the crop is harvested and the runners turned in to form a new growth the succeeding year. It is essential that the ground be kept free from weeds, since their presence in the crop at harvest would seriously injure the quality of the oil.
When peppermint is grown on reclaimed swamps or muck lands fertilizers are rarely needed, but on uplands it is well to plow in 12 or more tons per acreof rotted stable manure before planting. Similar applications may be made between the rows in early spring and plowed in as the land shows signs of exhaustion. Commercial truck or potato fertilizers cultivated in between the rows at the rate of 600 pounds to the acre have proved useful in keeping up fertility, but manure is to be preferred, as it provides humus or vegetable matter as well as increases the fertility.
Harvesting is begun in July or August, when the plants are in full bloom. The herb is cut and cured like hay, and when fairly well dried is placed in large vats or stills having a capacity of from 1 to 3 tons of dry herb and distilled with steam to obtain the volatile oil. The yield of oil is exceedingly variable, but on lands well suited for the production of peppermint the average yield is not far from 30 pounds per acre. The annual production of peppermint oil in the United States is about 300,000 pounds. For many years before the war the price of the oil varied from year to year, but averaged about $2.50 a pound. There is some demand for the dried leaves and tops, for which 6 to 15 cents a pound was paid to collectors in June, 1920.
For further information on the growing of peppermint, see Farmers' Bulletin 694, entitled "The Cultivation of Peppermint and Spearmint."
Fig. 7.—Pinkroot (Spigelia marilandica).
Fig. 7.—Pinkroot (Spigelia marilandica).
Pinkroot (Spigelia marilandica,fig. 7) is a native perennial herb occurring in rich open woods from New Jersey to Wisconsin and south to Florida and Texas. The root is an official drug, the use of which has declined in recent years, apparently on account of the extent to which pinkroot has been adulterated with the worthless roots of another plant known as East Tennessee pinkroot. Prospective growers of pinkroot should obtain seeds or roots for planting from thoroughly reliable sources only.
Pinkroot makes a vigorous growth under conditions suitable for growing ginseng or goldenseal, and partial shade is usually necessary, although if given a rich, moist, loamy soil it may be grown without shade in situations not too hot and dry. It is propagated either from seeds or from divisions of old roots. It is best to sow the seeds as soon as they are ripe, but if mixed with moist sand and kept in a cool place sowing may be deferred until fall or the following spring. The seeds are sown in drills 6 inches apart in well-prepared seed beds, and in the spring, when the young plants are a few inches high, they are set about a foot apart each way in the permanent beds. The old roots are divided when dormant, and each division should consist of a portion of the root with one or more buds and a number of the small rootlets. They are set in the same manner as the seedlings. Thorough cultivation and freedom from weeds are essential for good results.
The roots usually attain a marketable size in three years, but will give a heavier yield at the end of the fourth or fifth year. They are harvested in the fall, and after the tops are cut off the roots are well washed and thoroughlydried. Little can be said regarding yield, but returns from small areas indicate that a bed 4 by 30 feet will yield from 10 to 12 pounds of dry root in four years. The prices paid to collectors of pinkroot before the war ranged from 15 to 30 cents a pound. The price in June, 1920, was about 60 cents a pound.
Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) is a native plant of frequent occurrence in moist, rich soil along fences and in uncultivated land throughout the eastern half of the United States. The root, which is perennial, sends up large annual stems, sometimes attaining a height of 8 or 9 feet. This plant bears numerous long clusters of smooth, shining purple berries, very attractive in appearance, but the seeds are said to be poisonous. Both the root and the berries are used in medicine.
Pokeweed thrives in deep, rich soils well supplied with moisture and may be readily grown from seed sown early in the spring in rows 4 feet apart and barely covered. The seedlings may be thinned to stand about 3 feet apart in the rows. Cultivation should be shallow, though frequent. The plant develops a long, thick, and fleshy root, which when old is not easily harvested and may have to be dug by hand. If the roots of plants grown from seed are harvested at the end of the first year, they may be turned out by means of a deep-running plow without great difficulty. As soon as they are dug the roots are cleaned by washing and are usually cut into lengthwise or transverse slices for drying. They should be thoroughly dried, and if a large quantity is to be handled the use of artificial heat will be found desirable.
A yield of about 600 pounds of dry root per acre may be expected at the end of the first year, or three or four times as much from plants of the second year's growth. In the second year several hundred pounds of berries may also be obtained from 1 acre.
Before the war, collectors received from 2 to 3 cents a pound for the roots and berries. The price in June, 1920, for the dry, cut root was about 6 cents and for the dry berries 15 cents a pound. Apparently there is but a small demand for either of these products.
Safflower, American saffron, or false saffron (Carthamus tinctorius) is a hardy Old World annual of the aster family, cultivated in gardens in this country for its flowers, which are used in coloring or for flavoring, and sometimes as a substitute for the true saffron.
Safflower grows well on moist soils and may be readily propagated from seeds sown in the open early in the spring. The soil should be fine and mellow, and the seeds sown an inch or more apart in drills and well covered. About three weeks from the time of sowing the seed the plants will be well started, and cultivation should begin at once and be continued until the flower buds form. The plants bloom in July or August, when harvesting may begin. Only the florets are collected, and, since these must be removed by hand, harvesting is slow and expensive. The plants continue to blossom for several weeks, and the florets must be harvested almost daily. It is best to collect them early in the morning and to dry them in the shade on trays having muslin bottoms. The florets should be turned daily until thoroughly dry and then stored in tin containers.
The yield is estimated at 125 to 150 pounds of dry florets per acre. The price for safflower is variable and ranges from 19 to 60 cents a pound.
The true saffron (Crocus sativus) is a low-growing, fall-blooming, bulbous plant of the iris family, native to southern Europe, where it is cultivated commercially. It was formerly grown as a small garden crop in some localities in this country, chiefly in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties, Pa. The stigmas of the flowers form the saffron of commerce. Saffron is used in cookery and for coloring confectionery, and was formerly widely used in medicine.
A rich, well-drained garden soil favors a vigorous growth of the plant, but a better quality of saffron is secured on land of medium fertility. It is propagated from bulbs (corms), which may be planted in August about 6 inches apart each way and 6 inches deep in well-prepared soil. When grown on a large scale the bulbs are often set late in the spring. The ground is laid off in rows about 20 inches apart, and a furrow 6 to 8 inches deep is opened for each row. In this furrow the bulbs are set in two parallel rows about 4 inches apart and about 2 inches apart in the row. The furrows are then filled and the surface of the soil brought to a uniform level. Thorough cultivation and freedom from weeds are essential for good results.
The purplish blossoms usually appear about October, but the main leaf growth of the plant is made in the following spring. The bulbs may remain undisturbed for three or four years, or they may be taken up yearly and the clusters divided. All unsound bulbs should be rejected, as they are often attacked by a fungus which readily spreads to the sound bulbs, causing them to rot. During the blossoming period, which frequently lasts from two to three weeks, the flowers are collected daily just as they open. The orange-colored stigmas are then removed from the flowers, either by pulling them out or by cutting them off with the finger nail, after which the flowers are thrown away. The stigmas are dried immediately, a common method being to spread them in a thin layer on a sieve which is suspended over a low fire. When fully dry they are placed in linen bags and stored in a dry place.
The yield of saffron is variously estimated at from 10 to 30 pounds per acre, according to the situation where it Is grown. About 50,000 flowers are required to produce a pound of dry saffron; consequently, the amount of hand labor involved in removing the stigmas is quite large. The price usually received for saffron in normal times is not far from $8 a pound, but the prices in June, 1920, ranged from $14 to $15 a pound. Owing to the high cost of production, it is not thought probable that saffron culture would prove profitable in the United States.
The common sage plant (Salvia officinalis) is a hardy perennial of the mint family, widely cultivated in gardens, and when once established it persists for several years. The leaves are used extensively for seasoning meats and soups, and a tea made from them is an old household remedy.
Sage is easily cultivated and will grow in any well-drained fertile soil, but seems to thrive best in a rich clayey loam. For cultivation on a large scale the seeds are sown in early spring in rows from 2 to 3 feet apart, and when the plants are well up they are thinned to stand about 12 inches apart in the row. Seedling plants have a tendency to produce narrow leaves; hence, the broad-leaved varieties which do not flower readily are the most desirable, since they give a larger yield of leaves. As the plants rarely set seed, they are usually grown from cuttings, which may be obtained from seed houses having their own propagating gardens. Cuttings set as early in the spring as weather conditions will permit usually give a large crop. In the North the plants shouldbe protected In winter by a mulch of manure. Sage may also be grown as a second crop after early vegetables.
A fair crop of leaves may be harvested the first season and a much larger one for five or six years following. Only one picking should be made the first year, after which two or three pickings may be made in a season. If a product of fine quality is desired, the leaves are picked by hand and dried in the shade. Sage leaves are apt to turn black while drying unless the removal of moisture proceeds continually until they are fully dry. A cheap grade may be obtained at a smaller harvest cost by cutting the plants with a mower, the cutter bar of which is set at such a height as not to include the woody stems. The dry herb should be marketed promptly, since it loses its strength rapidly with age.
Returns from experimental areas indicate that on good soil a yield of 2,000 pounds or more of dried tops per acre may be expected. In case the leaves only are harvested, the yield will be proportionately less. American leaf sage usually brings a considerably higher price than that imported from Europe. During the last three years the price has ranged from 20 to 70 cents a pound, according to supply and demand.
Fig. 8.—Seneca snakeroot (Polygala senega).
Fig. 8.—Seneca snakeroot (Polygala senega).
Seneca snakeroot, known also as senega or seneca root (Polygala senega,fig. 8), is a small native perennial, occurring in rocky woods in the eastern United States and Canada. Seneca is not yet grown on a commercial scale, although cultivated experimentally in a number of places. The root is used in medicine.
Seneca can be grown in good garden soil or in rather firm, stony soil, provided it contains a fair proportion of leaf mold or very well rotted manure. Shade is not essential, although the plant thrives in partial shade or under modified forest conditions. Roots for propagation may be obtained from dealers or may be collected from the wild in autumn or early spring. If set 15 inches apart in rows, the plants may be readily cultivated until they reach a marketable size. The seeds ripen in June and may then be planted, or they may be stratified by mixing with sand and buried in boxes or flower pots in moist soil until the following spring, when they may be sown in seed beds or shallow boxes of loam and leaf mold. The seedlings when old enough to be handled safely may be transplanted to the permanent beds and set in rows to facilitate cultivation. In cold situations they will probably need to be protected during the first winter after transplanting. A light covering of straw or pine needles will be sufficient to protect them from severe frost.
The plant is slow in growth, but experiments thus far indicate that about four years are required to obtain marketable roots. The roots should be dug in the fall, thoroughly cleaned, and dried. There are no reliable data on the probable yield. Seneca root is in constant demand, and collectors formerly received from 35 to 50 cents a pound. The price to collectors in June, 1920, was 90 cents a pound.
Serpentaria, or Virginia snakeroot (Aristolochia serpentaria), is a native perennial plant occurring in rich woods in the eastern part of the United States, and most abundantly along the Allegheny Mountains. The roots of this plant are used in medicine.
Like many other woodland plants, serpentaria requires a rich, moist loam and partial shade for its best development. It may be readily propagated from seeds, which, however, require several months for germination. The seeds are best sown in a well-prepared seed bed as soon as they are ripe. They may also be sown broadcast or in drills 6 inches apart and lightly covered with leaf mold. A thin mulch of straw or leaves will afford the necessary winter protection. In the spring the plants may be set 6 inches apart each way in the permanent beds. Plantings have been made in the open, in which case the plants were set 4 inches apart in rows 16 inches apart, but the results have been less satisfactory than with plantings made under shade.
The roots are collected in the fall, thoroughly cleaned, and carefully dried. Satisfactory data on probable yields under cultivation are not available. The price usually ranges from 30 to 45 cents a pound.
Spearmint (Mentha spicata) is a well-known perennial of the mint family which is very frequently found growing wild in moist situations throughout the eastern half of the United States. It is widely used for seasoning meats, and the leaves and flowering tops, as well as the volatile oil distilled from the whole herb, form marketable drug products.
Spearmint is easily grown in any fertile soil which is fairly moist. Its culture and the method of distilling the volatile oil are the same as for peppermint. To prepare the dry herb for market the leaves and flowering tops are collected when the first flowers appear and before the leaves begin to fall and are carefully dried in the shade. The demand for the dry herb is small, but the annual market requirement for the oil is about 50,000 pounds.
On ordinary soils the yield of oil varies from 10 to 20 pounds per acre, according to stand and season, but on muck lands the yield is usually only a little less than that of peppermint. Before the war the wholesale prices for the oil ranged from $1.50 to $5, averaging about $3.30 a pound. The price in June, 1920, was $12 a pound. The dry herb, which formerly brought from 3 to 4 cents, is now quoted at 6 to 12 cents a pound.
For further information on the growing of spearmint, see Farmers' Bulletin 694, entitled "The Cultivation of Peppermint and Spearmint."
Stramonium, Jamestown weed, or jimson weed (Datura stramonium), is a poisonous annual of the nightshade family, which occurs as a common weed in almost all parts of this country except the West and North. The leaves and seeds are used medicinally.
Although stramonium grows wild on a variety of soils, it thrives best under cultivation in rich and rather heavy soils which are fairly well supplied with lime. It grows readily from seed, which may be sown in the open early in the spring in drills 3 feet apart and barely covered. When the plants are well established they are thinned to stand 12 to 15 inches apart in the row. The plants can be readily transplanted, and gaps occurring in the rows may be filled in with the plants removed in thinning. Cultivation sufficient to keep the soil free from weeds is necessary for good growth.
Cultivated plants are frequently attacked by leaf-eating insects, especially in the early stages of growth, and it is often necessary to use lime or other insect repellents to prevent the destruction of the crop.
The leaves, which are collected when the plant is in full bloom, may be picked in the field, but time will be saved if the entire plant is cut and dried in an artificially heated curing room at a temperature of 100° to 110° F. When the leaves are dry they can be readily stripped from the stems, and should be baled for shipment. Such seed as is ripe may be easily thrashed out of the capsules after the leaves have been removed from the stems.
Yields of dry leaf at the rate of 1,000 to 1,500 pounds per acre have been obtained. The yield of seed is much more variable, and is estimated to range from 500 to 2,000 pounds per acre. The prewar price for the leaves varied from 2 to 10 cents and for the seed from 3 to 7 cents a pound. The price in June, 1920, for the leaves was 22 cents and for the seed 12 cents a pound.
Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) is a European perennial plant, long cultivated in this country in gardens, from which it has escaped, and it now occurs as a weed along fence rows and roadsides. The leaves and flowering tops are in some demand for medicinal purposes. The herb also yields a volatile oil, for which there is a small market.
Tansy grows well on almost any good soil, but rich and rather heavy soils well supplied with moisture favor a heavy growth of herb. It may be propagated from seed, but is more readily propagated by division of the roots early in spring. The divisions are set 18 inches apart in rows 3 feet apart. Seed may be sown very early in the spring in the open or in seed beds, and the seedlings later transplanted to the field. Such cultivation as is usually given to garden crops will be sufficient.
The plants are cut late in the summer when in full flower, the leaves and tops being separated from the stems and dried without exposure to the sun,as the trade desires a bright-green color. For the volatile oil the plants are allowed to lie in the field after cutting until they have lost a considerable portion of their moisture. They are then brought to the still and the oil removed by the usual method of steam distillation.
A yield of about 2,000 pounds of dry leaves and flowering tops per acre may be obtained under good conditions. The yield of oil varies, but about 20 pounds per acre is a fair average. In the United States the center of production of oil of tansy is Michigan, where about 2,500 pounds are distilled annually. The price of the oil in June, 1920, was about $8 a pound. The price of the leaves and tops usually ranges from 3 to 5 cents a pound.
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is a shrublike perennial plant of the mint family, native to southwestern Europe. It is a common garden plant, which lives for many years under good culture. The herb, often used for seasoning and flavoring, yields the oil of thyme, which has well-recognized medicinal properties.
Thyme grows well from seed, which may be sown early in the spring in drills 3 feet apart, or the plants may be started in a greenhouse or in seed beds outside and later set at intervals of about 18 inches in rows 2 to 3 feet apart. Thyme may also be propagated, like geraniums, from cuttings rooted in sand under glass. The plants grow well in mellow upland soil of good quality, and should be well cultivated and kept free from weeds throughout the growing season.
For preparing the dry herb only the flowering tops are used, and these are cut when the plant is in full bloom and carefully dried in the shade in order to preserve the natural color. The volatile oil is obtained from the entire herb, which is preferably cut when in full flower and subjected to steam distillation without previous drying.
Returns from experimental areas have shown great variations in the yield, which has averaged about a ton of green herb per acre. Normally the yield from a planting increases for several years, as the plants become better established, and yields at the rate of about a ton of dry herb per acre have been reported. The wholesale price in June, 1920, for the dry herb ranged from 11 to 15 cents a pound; for the imported oil, from $1.85 to $2.25 a pound, according to quality.
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is a hardy herbaceous perennial, well known under the name "garden heliotrope" and often grown as an ornamental plant. It has also been cultivated as a drug plant in New York and in parts of New England. The dried roots (rhizome and roots) form the marketable drug.
Valerian grows well in all ordinary soils, but thrives in a rich and rather heavy loam which is well supplied with moisture. It may be readily propagated by dividing the old roots, either in the fall or in the spring, and setting the divisions about a foot apart in rows 2 to 3 feet apart. If the divisions are set very early in the fall in time to become well established before frost, a good crop may usually be harvested the following autumn. Plants may also be grown from seed, which are preferably sown as soon as they are ripe in well-protected seed beds in the garden. Early in the spring the seedlings may be transplanted to the field and set at the same distances apart as the divisions of the root. Growth will be favored by a liberal application of farmyard manure, which should be well worked into the soil before the plants are set out. Thorough cultivation is essential.
The roots of the plants propagated by division may be dug in the fall of the first year's growth, although the yield will probably be small. Those of seedling plants do not usually reach a size suitable for harvesting before the end of the second growing season. After digging, the roots are washed, preferably in running water, until all adhering soil is removed. Washing and drying will be facilitated if the thick portion of the roots is sliced lengthwise. The drying should be very thorough, and the use of artificial heat will be found advisable.
Under good conditions a yield of 2,000 pounds or more of dried roots per acre may reasonably be expected. The prewar price ranged from 6 to 30 cents a pound, depending upon the place where grown, that from England usually commanding the highest price. The wholesale price in June, 1920, was about 22 cents a pound.
Vetiver, or cuscus grass (Vetiveria zizanioides), is a perennial of the grass family, native to southern Asia. It is occasionally cultivated in this country in the warmer portions of the Gulf Coast States as an ornamental and also for its aromatic roots, which are often used to impart a fragrance to clothing. In other countries an oil is distilled from the roots and used in the manufacture of perfumes.
Vetiver will grow in almost any soil, but light, sandy soil enriched by farmyard manure is to be preferred. Propagation is effected by dividing old Clumps, which may be set in the field, either in the fall or spring, about 4 or 5 feet apart each way. During the growing season the plants are given sufficient cultivation to keep them free from weeds. Vetiver grows in close bunches from 6 to 8 feet high, the numerous roots spreading horizontally about 2 feet on all sides of the plant.
Harvesting the roots, which usually takes place in November, is a laborious operation. The soil about the plants is opened with a stout, sharp spade in a circle large enough to include most of the roots. The earth is then dug from beneath the center of the plant and the entire clump lifted. The roots are first beaten or shaken to free them from adhering soil, then cut off close to the root crown and thoroughly washed. They may be dried in the open air, but it is preferable to dry them in a closed room at a low temperature, since they lose in fragrance if exposed to the hot sun or to a free circulation of air.
Yields at the rate of 600 to 1,000 pounds of dry roots per acre have been obtained. The prices in the markets of New Orleans are said to range from 75 cents to $1 a pound. The oil is not produced commercially in this country. The demand for both roots and oil is quite small, and it has not yet been shown that vetiver would be a profitable crop in the United States.
Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) is a low-growing, broad-leaved, evergreen plant with a creeping stem. The shoots from this stem grow to a height of 4 to 5 inches and bear solitary white flowers, which are followed by red berries. These berries are edible and are widely known as teaberries or checkerberries. Wintergreen is a common plant in woods and clearings from eastern Canada southward to the Gulf States, but its collection in quantity is somewhat difficult. Both the dry herb and the oil form marketable products.
Like other woodland plants, wintergreen thrives only in partial shade, and plantings should be made in a grove or under a specially constructed shade, such as is used for ginseng or goldenseal. A fairly good growth may be expected in soil which is thoroughly mixed with leaf mold to a depth of 4 inches or more. Wild plants may be used for propagation. Divisions of these may be set in the fall or spring, about 6 inches apart each way, in permanent beds.
Wintergreen is usually gathered in October or at the end of the growing season. The plants are carefully dried and packed in bags or boxes for marketing. For the production of the volatile oil the plants are soaked in water for about 24 hours and then distilled with steam. Over 22,000 pounds of wintergreen oil were produced in this country in 1909 and 6,000 pounds in 1914.
The prewar price of the oil distilled from the wintergreen plant as quoted in the wholesale drug markets generally ranged from $3 to $5 a pound. Recently the lack of labor has reduced the output of oil, and in consequence the price has advanced. The oil became practically unobtainable on the markets in October, 1919, at which time it had reached a price of $11 a pound. Collectors usually receive from 4 to 5 cents a pound for the dry herb. The results of numerous trials indicate that, on account of the small yield, wintergreen production under cultivation is not likely to be profitable at the prices quoted.
American wormseed, or Jerusalem oak (Chenopodium ambrosioides anthelminticum), is a coarse weed, occurring commonly in waste places and often in cultivated ground throughout the eastern and southern parts of the United States. The seeds (fruits) and the volatile oil distilled from the tops of the plant are employed in medicine.
This plant grows well under cultivation in almost any soil, but a good sandy loam is preferred. It is now cultivated for oil production only in a small area in Carroll County, Md. The seed is sown in well-prepared beds about March 1, and between May 15 and June 15, when the seedlings are 4 to 5 inches tall, they are transplanted and set about 10 inches apart in rows about 3 feet apart. The soil is kept entirely free from weeds by shallow cultivation throughout the growing season.
Harvesting is usually begun early in September or as soon as the seeds have taken on a black color, but before the plants have turned brown. If harvesting is delayed until the plants are fully mature there will be considerable loss through shattering and a diminution in the yield of oil when they are distilled. The crop is harvested with large knives or sickles, either by cutting off the entire plant at the ground or by cutting the branches separately. The latter method saves the labor of handling a quantity of useless woody material and also requires a smaller still capacity to handle the crop. After cutting, the plants are laid out on the ground in rows and allowed to cure for about three days before they are distilled.
In the South wormseed has been grown successfully as a seed crop. The ground is prepared in February and laid off in rows about 4 feet apart. A furrow is opened in each row, in which a complete fertilizer is applied at the rate of 400 to 500 pounds per acre. The soil on each side of the row is thrown in with a turnplow, forming a low ridge, which is then flattened with a light roller. The seeds are sown on this ridge with a drill. The plants are thinned to stand 18 inches apart in the row and are given frequent shallow cultivation.
The crop should be ready for harvesting late in July or early in August and should be cut before the tops begin to take on a brown color. The plants are cut either with a mower or old-style grain reaper and are left in the field until thoroughly dry. They may be housed and the seed thrashed out when convenient, but, since the seeds shatter easily, waste will be avoided if the plants are thrown upon large canvas sheets and the seed thrashed out in the field. The seed is light and not easily cleaned, but wire sieves of suitable mesh have proved very satisfactory for this purpose.
The yield of seed per acre averages about 1,000 pounds. The yield of oil varies, but under favorable conditions about 40 pounds per acre is regarded as a fair average. The area planted varies according to the price of the oil and may range from 175 to 450 acres. The average annual production of oil is estimated by producers to be 10,000 to 12,000 pounds.
The prewar price of wormseed ranged from 6 to 8 cents a pound. The price in June, 1920, was about 15 cents a pound. The prewar price of the oil ranged from $1.40 to $5.50 a pound. The price in June, 1920, was $9 to $9.50 a pound.
Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is a hardy herbaceous Old World perennial of the aster family, which has escaped from cultivation in this country and now occurs as a weed in many localities in the southern part of the United States. For many years it has been grown commercially on a small scale, chiefly in Michigan and Wisconsin. The dried leaves and tops have long been used medicinally, but the volatile oil distilled from the plant now forms the principal marketable product.
Wormwood will grow in almost any soil, but the best results are to be expected in deep, rich, moderately moist loams. The seeds are frequently sown broadcast early in the fall, following a grain crop; but if the plants are to be cultivated, it is best to start them from seeds sown in seed beds early in the spring or from cuttings of the young shoots taken in the spring and rooted in sand under glass or in the shade of a lath shed. The seeds are very small and should be sown on the surface of the soil in coldframes or seed beds and lightly covered with very fine sandy soil. The plants are easily handled and may be transplanted in moist weather with good results at almost any time during the growing season. They are set about 18 inches apart in rows 3 or 4 feet apart and are well cultivated. The soil should be kept absolutely free from weeds, since their presence in the crop at harvest time seriously damages the quality of the oil. A fair cutting of the herb may be expected the first year after planting and full crops for two or three successive, seasons, after which new plantings will be found more satisfactory.
The plants are harvested when in full bloom and may be cut with a scythe, or a reaper may be used if the area is large. While still fresh, the plants are distilled with steam to obtain the volatile oil. To prepare the leaves and flowering tops for market they are stripped from the stems by hand after the plants are cut and carefully dried in the shade without the use of artificial heat.
Experimental plantings have given yields at the rate of 2,000 pounds of dry tops or 40 pounds of oil per acre. When grown on a commercial scale the yield of oil appears to average about 20 pounds per acre.
The prewar price of the dry tops was about 6 or 7 cents a pound. Its price in June, 1920, was 17 to 18 cents a pound. The oil was once used extensively in the manufacture of absinth, but when the use of this product was restricted in 1912 the demand for the oil fell off and the price declined, until in the early part of 1915 it reached the low level of $2 a pound. The price in June, 1920, was about $13 a pound. The average annual production of oil of wormwood is about 2,000 pounds. Owing to the limited use of this oil, there appears to be little room for further profitable expansion of this industry.
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