Part 8

CONIUM.

Conium, or poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), is a large, poisonous European biennial plant of the parsley family, naturalized in the Northeastern States and in California. The full-grown but unripe seeds (fruits) and the leaves are used medicinally.

Conium is easily grown, and has been found to thrive in both comparatively moist clay soil and in dry sandy loam. In rich, moist land it may easily become a troublesome weed. Conium grows readily from seed, which may be sown either in the fall or early in the spring in drills 2 or more feet apart. As soon as the seedlings can be distinguished in the row, cultivation similar to that given ordinary garden crops is begun. The plants usually blossom in the second year, and when the oldest seeds are full grown but still green in color the plants are harvested and the seed at once thrashed out and dried with the least possible exposure to the light. The small and undeveloped seed should be screened out and rejected and the good seed stored in containers that will exclude light and air. The leaves are collected when the plant is in flower, quickly dried in the sun, and stored in the same manner as the seed.

Estimated yields at the rate of 600 to 800 pounds of seed per acre have been obtained, but the yield is very uncertain, since the flowering plants are especially subject to the attacks of insects which destroy the crop of seed. The prewar prices as quoted in the wholesale drug markets ranged from 5 to 10 cents a pound for the seed and 5 to 6 cents for the leaves. The prices in June, 1920, for the seed were 35 to 36 cents, and for the leaves 25 to 26 cents a pound.

CORIANDER.

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is an Old World annual of the parsley family. For years the plant has been cultivated in gardens in the United States, and it is now reported as growing wild in many places. The aromatic seeds and the oil distilled from them have long been used medicinally. Both the seed and the oil are also used for flavoring confectionery and cordials and as a condiment in bread and cake.

Coriander grows well on almost any good soil, but thrives best on deep and fertile garden loam. The soil should be well prepared before planting, which should be done moderately early in the spring. For field cultivation the seed is sown in rows 3 feet apart, but if the cultivation is done by hand the distance between the rows may be reduced to 18 inches. The seed should be sown thickly in order to insure a good stand. When well up, the plants are thinned to stand 4 or 5 inches apart in the row. Cultivation should continue until the plants flower, which will be about two months from the time of planting.

When most of the seeds are ripe the plants are cut with a scythe or mower, preferably early in the morning while moist with dew, in order to avoid shattering the seed. The plants are partially cured in small cocks in the field, the drying being finished in a barn loft or under other suitable shelter, after which the seeds are thrashed out and cleaned.

The yield of seed is quite variable, but returns from experimental areas indicate that from 500 to 800 pounds per acre may be expected. Five hundred pounds of seed will usually yield from 1 to 5 pounds of oil, according to the localities where grown. The annual importation of coriander seed is about 1,400,000 pounds. The prewar price of the seed was about 3 cents a pound; in June, 1920, 3 to 4 cents. The wholesale price of the oil of coriander, which was $5 to $7 a pound before the war, in June, 1920, ranged from $42 to $45 a pound.

DANDELION.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a well-known and troublesome perennial weed, occurring abundantly almost everywhere in this country except in the Southern States. It is frequently cultivated in market gardens for the leaves, which are used for greens or salads, but the root alone is used in medicine.

This plant will grow well in any good soil and has been successfully cultivated in the South, but in the colder parts of the country it may require slight mulching during the winter if the roots tend to heave out of the soil. The seeds, which are sown in the spring, are drilled in rows 18 inches apart and covered one-half inch deep. About 3 pounds of seeds should sow an acre. The seedlings are thinned to stand a foot apart in the row, and the crop should be well cultivated and kept free from weeds.

The roots are dug in the fall of the second season after planting the seed. They should be washed and may be dried whole, or, to facilitate handling and drying, they may be cut into pierces 3 to 6 inches long and the larger, portions sliced. Under favorable conditions, yields at the rate of 1,000 to 1,500 pounds of dry roots per acre have been obtained from second-year plants. The prices usually offered collectors for the dry root before the war ranged from 4 to 10 cents a pound. The price in June, 1920, was about 16 cents. The quantity annually imported into this country varies from year to year, but averages about 40 tons.

A serious disadvantage attending the cultivation of this crop is the danger of seeding adjacent land with a very undesirable weed.

DIGITALIS.

Digitalis, or foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), is a fairly hardy European perennial, which has long been grown in flower gardens in this country as an ornamental plant. The leaves are used in medicine, those from plants of the second year's growth being required for the official drug.

Digitalis thrives in ordinary well-drained garden soils of open texture and reasonable fertility. Sowing the seed directly in the field occasionally gives good results, but is so often unsuccessful that it can not be recommended. The seeds are exceedingly small and do not germinate well except under the most favorable conditions. They should be mixed with sand, to insure even distribution in seeding, and sown as early as February in seed pans or flats in the greenhouses or in well-protected frames. When danger of frost is past the plants should be hardened off and transplanted to the field, where they may be set about a foot apart in rows spaced conveniently for cultivation.

The plants do not flower until the second year, and it is necessary to cultivate them frequently during the growing seasons of both the first and second year. In localities where the cold weather is severe it may be desirable to protect the plants during the first winter with a light mulch of straw or coarse farmyard manure.

The plants usually flower in June of the second year, and the leaves may then be collected. They are carefully dried in the shade and should be stored in such a manner that they will not be exposed to light and moisture. The results of experiments indicate that yields of 450 to 600 pounds of dry leaves per acre may be obtained under favorable conditions. In considering digitalis culture it should be borne in mind that the crop occupies the soil for the greater part of two seasons and demands even closer attention than many truck or garden crops.

In 1919 small areas of cultivated digitalis, ranging from one-half to 1 acre in extent, were harvested in Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Washington, California, and some other States. Several tons of digitalis leaves were also collected from plants of wild growth in the general region of the Coast Range of mountains on the Pacific coast. Digitalis is of great medicinal importance, but on account of its potency is administered in very small quantities; consequently, a few thousand pounds is sufficient to meet the annual market requirements. Before the war the price for digitalis leaves averaged about 15 cents a pound; in June, 1920, it was about 35 cents a pound.

DILL.

Dill (Anethum graveolens) is an Old World annual or biennial herb of the parsley family. Although it is a native of southern Europe, it is hardy plant and may be grown in a much cooler climate if given a warm situation and a well-drained soil. The leaves are used for seasoning, and the seeds (fruits), which are greatly valued for flavoring pickles, are used as a condiment and occasionally in medicine. A volatile oil distilled from the seeds is used chiefly for perfuming soap.

Dill is preferably grown as an annual plant, in which case the seed should be sown about one-half inch deep very early in the spring in drills a foot apart. A half ounce of seed is sufficient to sow 150 feet of drill, and at this rate a pound should sow an acre. When sown in the field the rows may be 15 to 18 inches apart, and the seedlings should be thinned to stand about a foot apart in the row. The most favorable soil is a well-prepared loam, but the plants grow well in any good garden soil. Frequent cultivation and freedom from weeds are essential for good results.

Early in the fall, as soon as some of the older seeds are ripe, the plants are mowed and built up; into small cocks in the field, or, if sufficiently dry, the seeds may be thrashed out at once. In very dry weather it is preferable to mow the plants early in the morning while they are moist with dew, in order to avoid shattering the seed. In case the seed is very ripe, it is well to cut the plants high and to place the tops directly on large canvas sheets, in which they may be brought from the field. After thrashing, the seeds should be spread out in a thin layer and turned frequently until thoroughly dry, since they tend to become musty if closely stored before all the moisture has been removed.

The yield of dill seed is quite variable and is much influenced by climatic conditions. From 500 to 700 pounds of seed per acre is considered a good yield. The wholesale price in June, 1920, ranged from 8 to 11 cents a pound.

ECHINACEA.

Echinacea (Brauneria angustifolia, fig. 6) is a native perennial plant of the aster family found on the prairies of the Middle West, occurring most abundantly in Nebraska and Kansas. The roots of the plant are used medicinally.

This plant has been found to do well under, cultivation in moderately rich and well-drained loam. It grows fairly well from seeds, which may be collected when ripe and kept dry until ready for use. Plants should be started in a well-prepared seed bed by sowing the seeds thinly in drills about 8 inches apart. The plants develop slowly and may be left in the seed bed for two years and then transplanted to the field in the spring and set about 18 inches apart In rows. Thorough cultivation is essential for the best results. The roots do not reach a marketable size under three or four years from the time of sowing the seed. They are harvested in the fall, freed from any adhering soil, and dried either in the open air or by means of low artificial heat.