Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-06-07
AGRICULTURAL.
From colmau's Rural world !

From Colman's Rural World
DfoscOred Batdtas. as.-Numerou inqui-
ries having been made in regard to this
plant, we give our experience with il
after q trial of nine years. Although Il
has had TO bear the elander Of " humbug" "
from circumstances connected with its
introduction, we have found It Of sufii-
cient value still TO prize il. We do not
recommend it, and have no plaRts 70
sell, but give a simple statement Of facts
concerning it.
Ia the agricultural report Of 1853 is an
account of it that was sent in a private
communication not intended for publica-
tion, from which we quote: Planted
late in June. They received no culture
but TO keep down the weeds. Remained
all winter ia the ground without mulch
or other protection; they died off eight
inches below the surface, the remainder
being sound and good. Their average
length, twenty-six inches circumference
at the base, FIVE inches; weight, from six
to thirteen ounces. Replsnted four tubers
entire to see how much they would in
crease the size; cut the others into two
hundred pieces; trenched the earth three
spades deep; planted the sets one foot
apart each way, and two inches deep.
=
as the former. Obtained 2500 bulbs vary
ing from tbree-fourths Of an inch in di-
ameter to the size of pea. The plants
had no manure, and the ground had been
only three years from the timber; clay
subsoil. This piece gives st the rate Of
is, 335 pounds to the acre, with no labor
but to weed after planting. We have
cooked the tubers in various ways-plain
boiled, good-superior to common pota-
to fried, very good; plain baked in the
oven, and eaten with or without butter,
pepper and salt, excellent; grated or
crushed and made into pudding, pro
nounced superior to sago, tapiOca, or any
of the kindred articles in use for pud-
diDgs.n
None of this do we gainsay, but add, it
is a rapid grower, with most beautiful
foliage, and the blooms of the most ex-
quisite cinnamon oder, making 3 highly
ornamental as well as useful plant. Can
remain ~ the ground for years updis-
VIII prove of immense value ia deep,
rich, soils, and in poor cold clays will act
as fertilizer. We regard the man who
introduced this plant into the United
States as public benefaetor.
Management Of the Honey Bee.-The
miller is the greatest enemy of the honey
bee. Queenless colonies and weak stocks
easily fall prey to it. The former are
sure to be destroyed unless you rescue
them, and the latter seldom escape II the
moth once gets footbold. Where the
Larvae of the bee moth has come to ma
turity, and once spun its cocoon and
gone into the ehrysalis state, in or about
the hive, the probability Is that, IL they
be at all numerous, the next generation
will overpower the colony. Their liz
crease is so rapid that they seem to come
like weeds from the soil. IL you wOald
save your bees from their ravages, you
must commence in early spring. Nov
is the time to destroy the pest. LCOk
under the edges of your hive, where it
rests on its stand, early every morning /;
raise the hive, and kill every worm you
can find. If Won have reason 10 think
that the worms have gone up into the
combs, blow a little smoke among the
bees, carry the hive away from its stand,
place il on hard, smooth ground or on a
table or plank, and beat il as when driv-
ing bees, and the worms will crawl out
from the combs and fall down where you
can kill them. This is the best you can
do with the common box hive; and if
the bottom board is fast, you had better
pry it off ri you find dead immature
bees lying near the entrance to the hive
when you visit it in the morning, you
may be pretty sure there are worms at
work among the combs. And as they
destroy large numbers of unmatched brood
in their course, it would be well to trans
fer the combs and bees from all common
hives in which they have become nu-
merous, 70 some form Of movable comb
hive. You will thereby save your colo
ny and get rid Of the worm, II you are
diligent thereafter.
When you transfer, do not forget to
unite two weak colonies into ope, as you
viii thus save yourself an immense
amount OF care in hunting for worms,
and you will have the additional pleasure
Of seeing your colony prosper.
SCOT and Charcoal Dust for Manure.
SCOT makes an excellent manure, as it
contains a quantity of ammOniacsl salts.
1t is best used in the liquid form, and
may thus be applied to flowers and gar
den plants. Experiments alone will de-
termine how large a quantity must be
applied to plants. Charcoal dust is not
only fertilizer from its inherent quail
ties, but an absorbent of earbonic acid
gas from the atmosphere, and thus tends
greatly to RrsT the growth Of vegetables.
1t is therefore valuable as kind Of ma
nure,