The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-10-03
oURIosIrIEs OF AoRlouLTURE.
Roots of the Gala Lily as Food-Cater-
pillars which Bear Mushrooms.

4
root of the calla lNy, which resembles
somewhat in appearance the ordinary
Irish tuber, with the addition of few
whiskers that have nothing to do with
the other qualities of the article. A
section of it is so potato-like that you
would not be likely to remark any diff
| ference In cooking it has first to be
| boiled, in order to destroy certain acrid
properties, after which it may be fried,
roasted, baked, or what not, according
70 taste.
Farmers in Florida have begun to
| raise these Gala roots for market The
plants grow readily in swamps, and SO
ehickly that the yield of single flooded
acre is enormous. They reproduce
themselves by the multiplication of
their bulbs underground, so that the
grower has simply to dig up the off
shoots and leave parents to propagate
| euew. For centuries the Egyptians
have cultivated "A similar crop during
she seasons of the Niles overflow, and
1t the present time calla lily bulbs are Il
Nommon vegetable in Japanese mar
ftets. So prolific and palatable are
they that their propagation in many
parts Of the United States, where condi-
tions are favorable, may reasonably be
looked forward to as an agricultural in
dustry of the future.
The department of agriculture is con-
tinually engaged in trying to discover
and encourage the cultivation of new
and desirable varieties of fruits. Late.
ly it has come across a sort of giant
| hut
within the last few days long sought
prize has been obtained from Benton
Harbor, Mich, in the shape of really
thornless blackberry. The picking of
this delectable fruit has hitherto been
interfered with to some extent by the
spikes with which nature protects the
branches, but in the future, it is hoped,
people will be able to go blackberrying
without danger of priclIing their fingers
Experiments are making for the first
time in the grating of pecan trees. Ac-
cidental seedlings in Texas and New
| Mexico have developed nuts of this
kind as far superior to the ordinary
ones as the shellbarll is to the pignut.
Furthermore it has been demonstrated
that these improved varieties can read
lily be perpetuated, and even bet
tered, by grating. Only little culti-
vation is necessary to produce pecans
of five or six times the size of the
usual specimens and with shells SO
papery as to be easily broken between
the forefinger and thumb. The writer
saw good sized pasteboard box full of
such samples in the Office OF the United
States Pomologist yesterday, and ate a
few to make sure of their delicious
quality. The same process is possible
with chestnuts, which grow to the size
of horsechestnut in some parts of the
United States. They, too, are being
grated with view to securing the in
crease of their size and the improve
ment of their edible qualities. In 9
certain Illinois valley hickory nuts
used to grow as wide as the palm Of
ones hand, and efforts are being made
to obtain surviving plant so as to prop
agate from them.
The department of state has just re-
ceived from Consul Jones at Chin Kiang
China, small bottle containing some
specimens of the curious fungus thai
grows from a species of caterpillar, lit
orally transforming the animal into 6
vegetable and causing the unhappy in
sect to serve the purpose of root. 1t
is the larva of a moth, and when the
cold of winter approaches it makes its
way down into the soil to the depth OF
three or four inches. There it is at
tackled by a remarkable disease and
sprouts, sending up a long shoot which
appears and fructifies above the ground
like any mushroom. The natives in
Thibet and in the province of SEE
Khuan go about looking for this fungus
near myrtle trees of a certain sort
They dig up such specimens as they
discover and make them into little bun
, dies, tied with red thread. In this shape
they are sold as medicine, which is es
teemed, if possible, more highly thar
the famous ginseng, being considered {
powerful curative agent for diseases O
the throat and lungs.
This fungus has no other method o,
, growth than the one described. The
[ fructifying top that is above grounc
scatters its spores around under the
scarlet-fowcred myrtles on which the
caterpillars feed. When the latter bur
row into the soil to hibernate, they are
: apt to stir up some of the hostile germs
whereupon they are at once attacked
and speedily transformed into vegeta
BILE tissue. The substance of their flesl
is metamorphosed into stalks sproutinl
from their heads. OF course, a sufficien
number of the larve escape this fate tx
perpetuate the species from year to yea
, and to supply reproductive opportuni
ties for the fungus.
, Curiously enough, the common white
grub, which is the larva of beetle, i
, in many parts of the United States at
= tackled by fungus in a similar manner
t 1t has been suggested that measure
/ might be profitably taken to artificial,
innoculate this destructive worm on
large scale with the disease, with
view to bringing about its eXtermina
| ton. Thus far no economic use ha
been found for the sprouts produced. II
| New Zealand there grows out of tn
, body of big caterpillar a surprising
/ edible mushroom, the stalks OF whicl
r are eight to ten inches long, and ar
much priced by the natives for food
e The latter also burn it for use as
1 coloring matter. There is simila
g fungus in Costa Rica.
q The Japanese grow several species @
edible fungus in logs of decayed WOO
after fashion peculiar to themselves
One species of mushroom, which
utilized in Europe for killing flies, be
< ing regarded as one of the most poison
| i H. ,NN..