The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-12-13
CIEIaGa.

AUGUSTA Ark, Oct. 3I-During the
past few months, several articles have
appeared in your columns touching the
"chufa' or earth almond" Some seem
to think it the COCO grass that, years ago,
so alarmed the sugar planters Of Louis
lana. Others, that it is what is com
monty known as the grass nut. Others,
that when once planted you can never
get rid of it. Permit me to refer to
these, beginning with the first. The
coco grass grows very deep in the ground,
and the Louisiana planters often dug
bitches three or four feet deep to prevent
the roots from growing over whole
fields. 1t must have been eradicated, as
it is now seldom heard of. The coco
spreads-run5 i'll all directions. The
chufa nut never grows two inches under
the surface nine,tenths being found
within an inch of it. You find no incli-
nation in it to spread. 1t grows in
punches, and is as easily cultivated as
potatoes Plant the nuts IL or 10 inches
apart, and, while each hill will have from
400 to 700 nuts, they never run together;
and while each hill will have from 400
to 700 nuts, they never run together
and while each hill may be six or eight
inches in diameter, there will always be
fl space between them with no nuts. The
common grass nut never grows in
punches of any size generally in single
spears of grass, and the nut often three
or four inches under ground. To give
you an idea rs to how the chufa grows, |
send you a small box of-abnut fifth of
an ordinary bunch. You will see the
nuts all grow in nest just under the
tuft of grass, and the whole bunch can
be easily pulled up with one hand. Sell
dom more than dozen nuts are left in
the ground, all generally chnging to the
thousands Of little roots that make the
nest. | also send a sample of the nuts
that have been out of the ground eight or
ten days. They are in a separate paper.
They taste much like cocoanut, and /
never vet saw any one who would eat
peanuts after having once tasted the
chufa. Nothing greasy or gross about
them, the flavor being delicate. In
few days | will send you some parched
and ground, as coffee and, if you will
cook il as you do chocolate, you will find
it but little inferior to the genuine arti-
Gle
Now, word about "never getting
rid Of it. The habit of growth dis
proves this, for il does not spread, as
grasses usually do. Of course, "volun-
teers" will come up, if your pigs and
fowls do not get at them; but these will
find and deYour every nut, as they
grow so shallow. Wheat and oats and
Irish potatoes will come up too. if not
plowed up or not killed. In the mild
climate south of this chufa will remain
in the ground all the winter, but it will
not produce much unless cultivated. 1t
will be choked out by other things. Cul-
tivation only makes it grow. Last May
| planted about 400 nuts in three rows,
$50 feet long, ten per cent. not coming
up. The soil was light. sandy loan, and
l plowed it twice, keeping the grass
down. Some hills Will produce pint of
NUTS, six and seven hundred being some
times found Is the yield of one nut.
The yield of the three rows will, l
think, be at least two bushels, and I paid
fifty cents per quart for it in Mobile last
year, The nuts raised here are much
larger than those l bought. But, as
heretofore stated, the ohpfa is most val
liable for brood sows and pigs, and they
will never leave a stray one in the patch.
1t is fine food for poultry, giving pecu
liar flavor to the meat as the wild celery
of the Potomac and Chesapeake fats
does TO the canvas back duck.
Respectfully,
J. f. FEzWAaT.