One Thousand Questions in California Agriculture AnsweredWickson, Edward J. (Edward James)
Science
One Thousand Questions in California Agriculture Answered
Wickson, Edward J. (Edward James)
Agriculture -- California
Growing ginger in California in a commercial way has not been worked
out, although roots have been introduced from time to time. Plant your
roots in the garden, just as you would callas, where you can give them
good cultivation and water, as seems to be necessary, and note their
behavior under these favorable conditions before you undertake any large
investment in a crop.
Licorice Growing in California.
I have for some time been seeking far some information as to the method
of preparation for market and sale of licorice roots. I have a lot of
them and have never been able to find a market, and do not know how they
are prepared for market.
Licorice was first planted in California about 1880 by the late Isaac
Lea, of Florin, Sacramento county. Mr. Lea grew a considerable amount of
licorice roots and gave much effort to finding a market for it. He found
that the local consumption of licorice root was too small to warrant
growing it as a crop; that the high price of labor in digging the roots,
and the high cost of transportation of the roots to Eastern markets
would make it impossible for him to undertake competition in the Eastern
markets with the Sicilian producers, unless, perhaps, he could build an
extracting factory and market licorice extract, the black solid which is
sold by the druggist, and which the Sicilians produce in large
quantities. The preparation of licorice root is simply digging and
drying, but the preparation of the extract requires steam extractors and
condensers. California could produce licorice, for we have a good
climate for it. If it is grown on light, sandy loams, it could be pulled
from the ground by the yard at rather small expense, and yet, one should
not undertake the production unless he wished to put in much time and
money in working up economical production and marketing in competition
with the foreign product, produced by cheap labor and with the advantage
of processes well known and established by long usage. Experiments
should be circumspectly undertaken, for licorice is one of the worst
weeds in the world, and extremely difficult of eradication probably.
Growing Lentils.
Give information regarding the planting and raising of lentils. Can they
be grown in the Sacramento valley in the vicinity of Colusa, and at a
profit?
Lentils are as easily grown in California as common peas, and will do
well as a field crop if started during the rainy season, as they are
hardy enough to survive our ordinary valley frosts. With respect to
lentils, it may be said that excellent as these legumes are for many
purposes, they do not seem to be well known to American consumers, and
therefore the amount to be grown is limited, until you know who will buy
larger quantities of them at a good price.
Canada Peas for Seed.
I want to raise Canada peas for the seed. In what month of the year is
the best time to plant them; also how many pounds to the acre to be
sowed broadcast on rolling land in Napa?
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