Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-01-31
@eaaiug fur the Sabbath. The ;farm aud firesiar.
From the Newberry Herald.
THE CHUFA.

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From the Newberry Herald. -, ;,
THE CHUFA. g.. =.
ITS MERITS AND VALUE AS A STOCK FOOD.
Messrs. Editors: As I have grown the chu.
ia, the past season, 1 propose to give my ex-
perience and views upon the subject for the
benefit of my fellow farmers who have had no
experience with them. As there has been 80
much said and written about them of late, |
will not elaborate, but be brief and to the
point. ....:.... ....
I regard the chufa as the key to success of
the South, as the greatest drawback on the
Southern farmer is the immense quantity of
bacon he has to buy to carry on his farming
operations, and the only way to remedy this
is to raise his own bacon, which can be easily
and cheaply done by planting the chufa. I
claim that every farmer can, raise his own
bacon and lard as easily and cheaply as the
housewife raises her poultry, if he will but
plant an acre or two in chufas.
They are very prolific and require very
little cultivation. They will yield from two
to four hundred bushels per acre, (according
to the land.) All that is necessary to be
done is to keep the grass and weeds from
them until they get start, and they will
soon smother the grass out, as they grow and
branch 30 rapidly. Think of 1.-TWO to four
hundred bushels per acre What else can we
raise to yield so enormously with so little
cultivation? Why not raise all the hogs we
want and give Cufee his share of stealage he.
sides? Chemical analysis shows that they
contain more fattening properties than any:
thing else yet discovered-superior to corn,
sweet potatoes, wheat, oats, barley, &c. .~-s-.--
There is scarcely number Of the Southern
Cultivator, published at Athens, Ga, but
what urges upon the farmer the necessity of
planting chufas and raising bis own meat. l
planted small patch-an ordinary dwelling
house would have covered the land-and
gathered from it twelve bushels, and am con-
6dent that did not gather more than half.
The patch was surrounded by sweet potatoes,
peanuts and COW peas and when l put my
hogs in they rambled over the different patch
es the first day, but finally, on the second
day, they centered on the chufa patch, and
did not leave as long as they could find one.
To use common expression, they rooted the
patch "up-side down" and left potatoes, pea
nuts and cow.peas in profusion untouched as
long as they could find chufa. .,a.. .s..<
Chickens and poultry of all kinds are ex-
ceedingly fond of them, and it fattens them
very fast, and causes them to lay eggs in
abundance. The chufa imparts delightful
flavor to the flesh, and causes the fowls to Ge-
msnd higher price in market. Itimparts a
flavor similar to the canvas back ducks that
feed on celery on the Chesapeake Bay, so no.
ted and 80 much sought after for their deli
cate flavor.
Since our disastrous war, there has been
quite change in our system of farming in
the South. Formerly cotton, corn, and little
wheat and oats, were all we thought of plant
ing; but since the war we have been expert
menting with the various other products
seeking for the cheapest and most profitable
food for stock All of the grasses of the North
and West, as we'll as of Europe have been
tried, none of them which have given entire
satisfaction (taking everything into consider
atom except the chufa, and strange to say,
but few farmers in this portion of the State
know anything about it. 1t fills the bill of
the Southern farmer exactly. 1st. Because
of its productiveness. I'd. The small amount
of labor required for it's cultivation, and its
value as food for hogs and forage for her
ses and cattle. More food and forage can be
gathered from one acre of chufas than any
thing yet introduced into the South-espe-
cially if we can take into consideration the
amount of labor required for its production.
1t is said by all writers who have experiment
ted with them, that land that will make ten
bushels of corn to the acre will make one
hundred bushels of chufas; but let US say
fifty bushels, (Which is certainly low est-
mate) and see how it stands compared to
corn. The standard weight of chufas, after
having been washed and dried, is 46 lbs. to
the bushel. 10 bushels corn, 56 lbs. to the
bushel, would be $50 lbs. 30 bushels chu-
fas, 46lbs, to the bushel, would be $500 lbs.
giving 1,740 lbs. to the acre in favor Of chu-
fus, and actual experiments have established
the fact that, pound for pound, in flesh pro-
ducing qualities, the chufa is superior to corn.
This may seem an exaggerated and overdrawn
calculation, but it is not, as every man who
has given them fair trial will substantiate.
l have in my possession at least dozen ar
ticles from men of thorough experience with
them, giving much larger yields than this.
Chemical ana ysis has proven that they are
superior to corn, sweet potatoes, wheat, bar
ley, or anything else that we feed to hogs, and
as we can raise 80 much more with so much
less cultivation, every farmer who wishes to
succeed should get stock OF hogs and plant
chufas.
The tops can only be utilized as a forage
for horses and CATTLE 1t makes excellent hay,
cut, say the latter part of July or August, be-
fore the leaves begin to turn, and the cutting
will be decided benefit to the tubers, caus-
ing them to grow larger, ripen earlier and
better, and attain more substance and solidity.
One of the most valuable characteristics Of
the chufa is that it does not rot, but will live
in the ground the whole winter perfectly
sound, (same as the artichoke, } and comes up
again next spring-if let alone-but very
easily exterminated if desired. Another is,
it is very hardy and will grow on almost any
soil, under any circumstances and conditions.
| said in the commencement that would
be brief, and here is quite lengthy article,
and yet I have not said half that could be
said in favor of the chufa. could not have
said less and done anything like justice to the
merits and value of the chufa as a stock food.
would insist upon every farmer getting a
few and trying them for himself and my
word for it, he will think he has found a
"gold NINE"
I have few bushels to sell, and any one
wishing to experiment with them can get
them at 35c. per quart, postage paid, or $500
per bushel, by addressing me at CbappelPs
Depot, Newberry county, S. c.
j. o. DICKERT, M. D.