The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-01-01

some implement OF the two-horse culti-
| vator style run through the rowe after
each irrigation"
The amount OF irrigation that should
be given will. of course, vary according
| to the kind OF soil and the natual moist
ure. As it seems that too much water
| depresses the tsnnin-percenfa tsee
below, while increasing the weight oil
| the crop, there is evidently a certain
| measure that cannot be probably
exceeded, but which must be established
| by experiment. At this station. with
an average rainfall of 20 inches during
winter, irrigation 10 certainly not called
for.
! HARVESTING
| Can be done, az in the case of beets, by
means OF a digger" such as is used for
potatoes and lin modified form) for
sugar beets. A crop of 10 tons per acre
from roots planted as indicated above
and properly cultivated for one season,
is probably a fair average expectation.
But it is not necessary to har-
vest the root at any particular
time, since is not only does not
deteroriaie by remaining in the
ground, but actually increases its tan
uin-percentage about the time the buds
for the second years growth begin to
move; az has been shown at the Ari-
iona station. In fact, the tanDin APP
pears to increase to a maximum st the
end of the second season, after which it
seems to remain constant; at least we
have never found higher percentage in
roots older than two years than in the
two-year-olds. AS the roots do not die
or decay, it ia optional with the farmer
when TO dig them. At this station,
when clump that had grown from a
single root was dug up, alter remaining
undIsturbed for eight years, not de-
csyed root WAS found and the whole
weighed f3 pounds. The older roots
are much darker in color, and
have rougher surface than
new roots, which are as smooth as sweet
potatoes.
The csneigre thus differs FROM almost
every other crop in thas its harvest can
wait for the convenience Of the farmer,
within wide limits. 1t ia not certainly
known as yet whether the root increases
in weight after the second year; our i'm
preston 10 that the increase 10 eight, ii
any, and that it will not be found best
to defer harvesting alter the second
year. But we have found that there is
no material difference in the tsnnin
contents of the full.grown root, whether
ths plant is reeting, blooming or ssed-
ing.
MARKETING.
AS has been stated above, the canal.
gre root, while an excellent keeper
when kept very dry, apoils readily when
kept in msse. 1t cannot therefore be
shipped green to any great distance,
but must Tor distance shipments be
either dried or converted into extract.
Drying is costly and laborious, and
after all OF somewhat uncertain resuit
on the large scale. Tanniu is a very
easily Incompatible substance; drying
at high temperature will injure it, az
we'll as when at too low q temperature,
the drying progresses too slowly and
permits fermentation 10 start up. Even
email roots cannot be dried whole with
out serious deterioration; it is abso-
lutely necessary 20 slice them. very
much as bsete are sliced for sugar max
ing. But when machinery 10 once pro-
cured for elicing, it seems better to 90 q
step farther and end all fear OF deterio-
ration By preparing the extract, which
will keep indefinitely.
The cost of facsory plant for prepar-
ing the extract need not be large, but II
must he managed by competent hands.
According 10 the data obtained by the
Arizona station, agreeing we'll with the
averages obtained By us, three tons OF
green roots will make one ton OF dried.
or one-half ton OF extract; or ak tons Of
green root will weld one ton of extract,
averaging from 80 to 65 per csnt of tam
min, and therefore very we'll capable of
shipment to O defiance, go far as value
is concerned.
STRUCTURE AND CHEMICAL CoMPosITIoN.
AS the canaigre root varies in it's out
ward aspect, 80 it also differs quite OBJ
viously in its internal appearance. Old
roots are darker colored than young
ones, both outside and inside; the lat
ter point seems also to be influenced by
differences in soil and cultivation.
The fresh root shows on cut surface
irregular orange or lemon-yellow
blotches and streak5 sometimes cover
ing the greater part of the section al
mos. uniformly. On exposure to the
air the color rapidly darksns into
brownish red, which is also the color of
the extract as whole. Microscopic
examination SHOWS lnat the colorlng
substance (aporetin?) is contained in
separate cells almost free from starch
grains. while the uncolored tissue 10 full
of starch. The tannin appears to be
very uniformly distributed throughout.
in solution in the sap; but in the case
OF large roots appears to be most abund-
ant near the axis or center line, con-
trary TO what occurs in the case of sugar
in the beet.
The tannin contents of the fresh and
dried root from different localities, of
different ages, etc., as heretofore deter.
mined at this station, are given in the
subjoined table for the sake of com
parison, the tannin percentages found
in other materials available in this
state are also given.
The tannin determinations given here
have been made by the permangsnate
method, but have been repeatedly
checked by the gelatine (or hide scrAp)
method, with but trifing differences in
the results. These therefore represent
fairly what hides will take up from the
root or root extract.