The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-07-29
WHERE The 1UBER0sEs GROW.
Millions of Bulbs Raised in One
County of North Carolina.

Most of the tuberoses now blooming
in the open about New York and IN
the forcing houses of florists come
from a comparatively small area In
Dublin county, N G. Here a group
of nursery men produce annually many
million bulbs of tuberose for sale in
this country and for expectation to
Europe. The bulbs flourish there won
derfully in light sandy soil, with a
porous clay subsoil, which seems to
provide exactly the right conditions
for them. The young bulbs are set
out in the spring to be developed for
the next years Towering.
The crop, which must be richly ma
nured and frequently cultivated, ma
lures in August, and is gathered
from six to nine weeks later. The tops
are then cut off at the ground and the
bulbs are ploughed out, much as if
they were potatoes They are gathered
by colored women, who shake them
free Of earth and remove the young
bulbs to serve to start the next years
crop. The most careful growers have
the bulbs punched In tens By little
negroes and hung up indoors to dry.
Sometimes artificial heat is used to
hasten the drying. The curing process
occupies from one to two months. The
bulbs are not ready for market until
December. They are then packed in
paper lined barrels, holding from 800
to 800 to 1,300, and Ia these packages
they are shipped to various parts Of
the world.
New York is the port from which
most of the bulbs are shipped to Eu-
rope, and exporters here sometimes
send away as many as 500, 900 bulbs il
q season. The price, which has great
ly fallen within the last ten years,
varies from Sl.75 to So a thoGsand.
Mammoth bulbs are from six to eight
inches ia circumference. After that
come No. l bulbs, which are at least
four inches in circumference, and No.
2, which are at least three inches in
circumference. The small bulbs pro
duce satisfactory flowers in the Soath,
bat the larger bulbs are better for
forcing in the North. Europe, which
takes more delig hit in the tuberose
than America and demands the flower
the year round, imports bulbs from
South Africa and from the United
State. The South African bulbs reach
the European markets some months
ahead of ours, and are Immediately
forced for early Towering. Ours,
which arrive in December and Janu-
ary, are retarded by being kept at a
low temperature, in order that they
may furnish summer and autumn
flowers. It is really difhult to make
the American tuberoses flower Ia
winter or early spring. The tuberose
growers of North Carolina are con-
stantly experimenting with view to
obtaining new varieties, and they
have attained a wide reputation for
their bulbs. They produce dwarf tube
roses Of a pearly tint that have a
great reputation, double flowers, tube
roses with varigated leaves, the or
anee foWered tuberose, the blossom
of which resembles that Of the or
ange, an albion and others. Curiously
enough, both the popular name and
the botanical name of the tuberose
have been the subject of much discus
sion. Linnaeus named these flowers
polianthes, but in all early work of
his the name was by mistake spelled
polyanthes, which was naturally ia
ken to mean "many howered. - It is
now believed that he intended "shin-
ing fowered,'' though some botanists
think he had in mind "the city flow
or ',-NeW York Sun.