Year: 1864




The Chtlf,a or Earth Almond,


The analysis Of this plaut and its practical
use for a series years establishes conclusivcy
its great value as a field crop, and none other
known in husbandry can surpass It as an aux-
iary to the great grain crop Of this country. 1t
is extensively used by the Spaniards as fool
both for men and animals, and will be as pro-
ftaby employed in this country when its value
becomes known and appreciated. The tubcrs,
when pounded into a paste and mixed with
water, make remarkable emulsion resembles
milk in appearance, and, when strained, the
fat rises to the surface and looks like cream
This emulsion, when prepared and sweetcncd
to the TASTE is a most nutritive ingredien., and
may be used as valuable substitute for milk
the remaining cake forming Il rich, nutritivc
food for all domestic animals ..


The cultivation Of the Chuia is the same Al
cotton or corn, and may be planted at the same
time and grown between the roAs of the latter
crop, like the ground orAAal .peae~> The largest
YIELD however, is srcaaee the crop
to itself upon three foot beds, as for cotton
dropping one or two tubcrs twenty inches apart
on the bed, and covered with the foot, or cot.
ton board; or the crop may be planted in checks
two feet nine inches square, one or two seed to
the hill, covered with foot or hoe AMI crtiva
ted entirely will, the sweep, running two fur
rows each way at the slmc time. One bushcl
Of tubcrs will plant from five to ten acres -
The harvest is easy and expeditions thrust
with manure fork opposite sides of the
hill and thrown up, presents quart to haik
gallon Of tubers the size of post or white ak
acorn, and may b, gathered from one 10 two
bushels per day to the hand. When harvested
for market, the tutcrs must be well washed
and dried in the sun, and spread on floor and
not buiked, as heat fermentation will iniurn
them. The seed are better for Planting taken
fresh from the field in the spring, after remain.
ing all the winter in the ground.


The Chufa is a plant Of more vitality, and
can be transplanted at any stage of its growth
with more facility than amy garden Or field
CROP to the missing spaces which are "few and
far between" and is far more reliable and pro-
ductive, requiring less labor in cultivation, ma
turing in one half the time of the potatoe or
ground pea, and yields three times as much
per acre. 1t luxuriates upon all poor or siclous
soils, endu'cs the most intense drowths, never
w'lter'ng under burning sun, its deep green
leaves resembling a luxuriant field of rice, al
ways presenting. n cheerful promise, and never
falling to RETURN the reward of full fruiton
when the cultivation has been generous and
complete. During the most fatal seasons VIC
have ever experienced upon a field on which
ever other species of crops have rusted and
'dred up during the first days uf dry weather
in May or June, and from which we have not
gathered, without its specific manure five bush.
els Of corp, nor three hundred pounds of seed
cotton per acre in thirty years, an average Of
eighty two bushels Of tubers per acre have
been obtained. Other planters have reported
over two hundred bushels per acre on a moro
generous soil. What plant known to the en-
lghtened husbandman will yield so mach nu-
tritvc food per acre Tor the same labor Mono
of which we are informed! How much hap
pier tho present condition and future prospect
of the country, had the crop been grown extern
sively for the past five years. Let the hunger
and scarcity now presenting such heart crnding
results answer the shortcomings of a..misguided
economy.


The comparative value of the ChuGa, with
other auxiliary crops for feeding and raising