The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1882-01-11
LiquOrice.
Francisco Bulletin.

cultivated In Spain, Italy, Greece
and Asia Minor and to some extent
in France and England. 1t is a per>
enDial, deep rooted plant, with her,
baceous stalks, three or four feet high,
pinnate alternate leaves and small
blush or purple papilionaceous
flowers, disposed in auxiliary heads
or spikes, and are succeeded by short
smooth pods containing three or four
seeds.
The extract of the root or liquorice
paste, familiar to all, is used in large
quantities by brewers for tlavoring
porter and still more extensively by
tobacco manufacturers. The root
and extract are both used for medi>
cal purposes, and in some countries a
decoction of the root is regularly sold
as beverage and is very useful in
allaying thirst. If our boys could
be induced to chew liquorice root
instead OF tobacco it would be con-
ductive 10 both health and cleanliness.
Statistics are not at hand showing
the quantity consumed in the United
States, but it is known to be greater
than that used in any other country.
The supply is derived chiefly from
Spain, Italy and Asia Minor. The
best Italian contains 62 to 81 per ceut.
of soluable extract and II to 26 per
cent. OF iusoluable residue. The ex>
ports from that country in 1870 were
1926 kilogs., Of which 64,787
kilogs. went to the United States.
From Naples alone, in 1872, root and
paste to the value OF 100000 were
exported. In Spain, the provences
of Seville, Valencia and Catalonia are
the most productive. From that coun.
try the exports in 1868 were l, S59,336
kilogs. England consumes 1900 to
1900 tons OF the dried root per year.
The plant thfives and produces the
best root in countries with a climate
similar TO that Of California, though
the roots produced in England com,
pare iavorably with the product OF
other countries. There is no doubt
that the plant is perfectly adapted
to the climate OF the Pacific Coast,
as the indigenous species, @. tepid0to,
very similar to the cultivated, is
found growing wild from Mexico TO
British Columbia The plant has
beer grown at few places already
in this State, and as tar as tried its
culture has been perfect success.
The most suitable soils deep sandy
loan, and with manure, when once
planted, The same land will produce
a continuous crop of forty to fifty
tons to the acre. In England the
ground is spade-trenched TO depth
of four or five feet, and LAID in ridges
until spring. When .he soil has be~
come pulverized the ridges are level
ed and prepared Tor planting, the best
time in that country being the month
OF, March. Cuttings OF the lateral
roots are planted i'll beds three or
four feet wide, which must be kept
clean during the summer. In No
vember, wnen the sap has descended,
and the tops appear yellow, the old
stems OF stalks are cut off close TO the
ground with sharp pruning .kuite or
scythe, and the spaces between the
rows are turned over and lett rough.
1t takes three years to produce mer-
charitable roots in England. The
roots are dug with large three>
pronged fork and SACKED III trenches,
with layers of sand between, with a
good layer on top. III this way the
roots are kept fresh until wanted
for market. If the roots is to be sold
dry the stacking with sand is omitted
and the roots are tied in bundles Of
the required length and dried.
Mr.. Isaac Lea of Florin, gives the
following directions for cultivating
and curing, all the more valuable be
cause the result of California exper
fence. He writes: II make the
liquorice cuttings about four inches
long. 1t Is not necessary to have
them larger, as but one or two of
the buds grow; the others remain
dormant, and are OF no use. | plant
the cuttings one foot apart in rows
sixteen feet apart, and cultivate vege-
tables in the space between the rows.
The roots Of the liquorice run deep
into the ground and do not interfere
with other crops. In three years
time the space between the rows will
be a perfect mass Of roots. The crop
is then ready to dig. When the
ground has been softened by the rain
l can detach a horizontal root and
pull it out by hand even when sixteen
to twenty feet long, as these roots
60 Lot 90 more than a foot deep.