The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1883-01-24
Cultivation of the Chufa.

bSOuutefW N~tHOutOTs
Mr.. DIV. Langdon, well known
agriculturist, OF Mobile, Ala, is quite
an enthusiast on the subject of c A.
tivating the chufa tor stock feed.
The discussion is by no means new
one, yet we give his latest article in
regard to the success that has attend.
ed his own experiments
am little surprised that there is
not more general cultivation Of the
chufa (Cyperus escnlentus) for stock
food. | Fave had very large expe-
rience with it in the last eight or ten
years, and say without hesitation that
| think it is nnequalled for the pur>
pose and behave it will go farther,
tor the money and labor expended,
In the way of making pork than any
other food I know of, not even ex
cepting corn. To illustrate this, /
will give you few samples Of my
own and some OF my neighbors' time,
and am better prepared TO do SO at
this time, so far as [ am concerned,
from the fact that ! have just gather,
ed my crop aud have made careful
note OF its progress from the sowing
of the seed to the digging of the
tubers.
/ should say, however, by way OF
premise, that it is rather my purpose
to give results than to go into details
as TO the mode of cultivation for fear
that my contribution to your columns
would otherwise exceed proper
bounds.
In previous years it has been nay
practice, aud that OF my predecessor,
to dig oniy what was needed for seed
the next season and then turn the
hogs in on the crop. Very little OBJ
seryation was necessary 10 discover
that the porkers enjoyed the arrange
ment immensely and grew" as fat as
they could wallow" without any re
course to the corn crib. My neigh
bors, some OF whom have been in the
habit for many years back Of pur-
sung the same course, relate SINH
lar experience. Que OF them, a
gentleman OF Intelligence, coupled
With large experience in pork making
states i'll addition that he one year
outchered his hogs direct from the
"chuta patch" without giving them
a grain OF corn, aud never had bet>
ter or fifmer pork in his life. 1t has
been the practice with US. however,
to throw them little corn before
converting them into bacon.
Now, | will show you what has
been the yield this year. Having
prepared the ground thoroughly and
MANFRED IN the drills three
feet apart with groand bone and
cotton seed meal, about the middle
of April planted Little less than
half an acre in the ehufas. The
crop was worked twice after that aud
then "laid by"
About the first ct August, finding
a fine growth OF tops | alowed them
off, getting about ton OF as nice hay
as one could wish to look at. find
both cattle and mules eat of it with
evident relish. am now about done
gathering the chuias, aud End have
sixty nine bushels, or equal to about
$50 bushels to the acre. The soil
from which this crop was taken Is a
light, loose, sandy loam-poOr piney
woods handmade moderately rich
by the use of artificial manures, and
firmly believe that by increasing
the amount OF manure one-half, The
yield would have been more than
don bled
Here We have on land that would
be thought doing we'll TO yield
twenty-five to thirty bushels. o. corn
10 the acre, giving us 100 bushels
OF equally as rich and nutritious hog
food Tor five times as muchl without
taking into account the hay. And
then besides there still remains in
the ground for the hogs very nearly
as much more, Tor il is next TO i'm
possible to gather much more than
half the crop.
But it should be borne in mind, a.
intimated in the beginning, that the
chuta is not crop to be gathered
this should be the hogs business
for the process is tedious and expen>
sive, and the curing OF the seed aud
saving il nntl planting Tune. Is at
tended with mole or less loss.
THIS experience is had in The lower
South, where the climate is mid and
the summers long, but as 0etwee..