Part 7

Valerian grows well in all ordinary soils, but thrives in a rich and rather heavy loam which is well supplied with moisture. It may be readily propagated by dividing the old roots, either in the fall or in the spring, and setting the divisions about a foot apart in rows 2 to 3 feet apart. If the divisions are set very early in the fall in time to become well established before frost, a good crop may usually be harvested the following autumn. Plants may also be grown from seed, which are preferably sown as soon as they are ripe in well-protected seed beds in the garden. Early in the spring the seedlings may be transplanted to the field and set at the same distances apart as the divisions of the root. Growth will be favored by a liberal application of farmyard manure, which should be well worked into the soil before the plants are set out. Thorough cultivation is essential.

The roots of the plants propagated by division may be dug in the fall of the first year's growth, although the yield will probably be small. Those of seedling plants do not usually reach a size suitable for harvesting before the end of the second growing season. After digging, the roots are washed, preferably in running water, until all adhering soil is removed. Washing and drying will be facilitated if the thick portion of the roots is sliced lengthwise. The drying should be very thorough, and the use of artificial heat will be found advisable.

Under good conditions a yield of 2,000 pounds or more of dried roots per acre may reasonably be expected. The prewar price ranged from 6 to 30 cents a pound, depending upon the place where grown, that from England usually commanding the highest price. The wholesale price in June, 1920, was about 22 cents a pound.

VETIVER.

Vetiver, or cuscus grass (_Vetiveria zizanioides_), is a perennial of the grass family, native to southern Asia. It is occasionally cultivated in this country in the warmer portions of the Gulf Coast States as an ornamental and also for its aromatic roots, which are often used to impart a fragrance to clothing. In other countries an oil is distilled from the roots and used in the manufacture of perfumes.

Vetiver will grow in almost any soil, but light, sandy soil enriched by farmyard manure is to be preferred. Propagation is effected by dividing old Clumps, which may be set in the field, either in the fall or spring, about 4 or 5 feet apart each way. During the growing season the plants are given sufficient cultivation to keep them free from weeds. Vetiver grows in close bunches from 6 to 8 feet high, the numerous roots spreading horizontally about 2 feet on all sides of the plant.

Harvesting the roots, which usually takes place in November, is a laborious operation. The soil about the plants is opened with a stout, sharp spade in a circle large enough to include most of the roots. The earth is then dug from beneath the center of the plant and the entire clump lifted. The roots are first beaten or shaken to free them from adhering soil, then cut off close to the root crown and thoroughly washed. They may be dried in the open air, but it is preferable to dry them in a closed room at a low temperature, since they lose in fragrance if exposed to the hot sun or to a free circulation of air.

Yields at the rate of 600 to 1,000 pounds of dry roots per acre have been obtained. The prices in the markets of New Orleans are said to range from 75 cents to $1 a pound. The oil is not produced commercially in this country. The demand for both roots and oil is quite small, and it has not yet been shown that vetiver would be a profitable crop in the United States.

WINTERGREEN.

Wintergreen (_Gaultheria procumbens_) is a low-growing, broad-leaved, evergreen plant with a creeping stem. The shoots from this stem grow to a height of 4 to 5 inches and bear solitary white flowers, which are followed by red berries. These berries are edible and are widely known as teaberries or checkerberries. Wintergreen is a common plant in woods and clearings from eastern Canada southward to the Gulf States, but its collection in quantity is somewhat difficult. Both the dry herb and the oil form marketable products.

Like other woodland plants, wintergreen thrives only in partial shade, and plantings should be made in a grove or under a specially constructed shade, such as is used for ginseng or goldenseal. A fairly good growth may be expected in soil which is thoroughly mixed with leaf mold to a depth of 4 inches or more. Wild plants may be used for propagation. Divisions of these may be set in the fall or spring, about 6 inches apart each way, in permanent beds.

Wintergreen is usually gathered in October or at the end of the growing season. The plants are carefully dried and packed in bags or boxes for marketing. For the production of the volatile oil the plants are soaked in water for about 24 hours and then distilled with steam. Over 22,000 pounds of wintergreen oil were produced in this country in 1909 and 6,000 pounds in 1914.

The prewar price of the oil distilled from the wintergreen plant as quoted in the wholesale drug markets generally ranged from $3 to $5 a pound. Recently the lack of labor has reduced the output of oil, and in consequence the price has advanced. The oil became practically unobtainable on the markets in October, 1919, at which time it had reached a price of $11 a pound. Collectors usually receive from 4 to 5 cents a pound for the dry herb. The results of numerous trials indicate that, on account of the small yield, wintergreen production under cultivation is not likely to be profitable at the prices quoted.

WORMSEED, AMERICAN.

American wormseed, or Jerusalem oak (_Chenopodium ambrosioides anthelminticum_), is a coarse weed, occurring commonly in waste places and often in cultivated ground throughout the eastern and southern parts of the United States. The seeds (fruits) and the volatile oil distilled from the tops of the plant are employed in medicine.

This plant grows well under cultivation in almost any soil, but a good sandy loam is preferred. It is now cultivated for oil production only in a small area in Carroll County, Md. The seed is sown in well-prepared beds about March 1, and between May 15 and June 15, when the seedlings are 4 to 5 inches tall, they are transplanted and set about 10 inches apart in rows about 3 feet apart. The soil is kept entirely free from weeds by shallow cultivation throughout the growing season.

Harvesting is usually begun early in September or as soon as the seeds have taken on a black color, but before the plants have turned brown. If harvesting is delayed until the plants are fully mature there will be considerable loss through shattering and a diminution in the yield of oil when they are distilled. The crop is harvested with large knives or sickles, either by cutting off the entire plant at the ground or by cutting the branches separately. The latter method saves the labor of handling a quantity of useless woody material and also requires a smaller still capacity to handle the crop. After cutting, the plants are laid out on the ground in rows and allowed to cure for about three days before they are distilled.

In the South wormseed has been grown successfully as a seed crop. The ground is prepared in February and laid off in rows about 4 feet apart. A furrow is opened in each row, in which a complete fertilizer is applied at the rate of 400 to 500 pounds per acre. The soil on each side of the row is thrown in with a turnplow, forming a low ridge, which is then flattened with a light roller. The seeds are sown on this ridge with a drill. The plants are thinned to stand 18 inches apart in the row and are given frequent shallow cultivation.

The crop should be ready for harvesting late in July or early in August and should be cut before the tops begin to take on a brown color. The plants are cut either with a mower or old-style grain reaper and are left in the field until thoroughly dry. They may be housed and the seed thrashed out when convenient, but, since the seeds shatter easily, waste will be avoided if the plants are thrown upon large canvas sheets and the seed thrashed out in the field. The seed is light and not easily cleaned, but wire sieves of suitable mesh have proved very satisfactory for this purpose.

The yield of seed per acre averages about 1,000 pounds. The yield of oil varies, but under favorable conditions about 40 pounds per acre is regarded as a fair average. The area planted varies according to the price of the oil and may range from 175 to 450 acres. The average annual production of oil is estimated by producers to be 10,000 to 12,000 pounds.

The prewar price of wormseed ranged from 6 to 8 cents a pound. The price in June, 1920, was about 15 cents a pound. The prewar price of the oil ranged from $1.40 to $5.50 a pound. The price in June, 1920, was $9 to $9.50 a pound.

WORMWOOD.

Wormwood (_Artemisia absinthium_) is a hardy herbaceous Old World perennial of the aster family, which has escaped from cultivation in this country and now occurs as a weed in many localities in the southern part of the United States. For many years it has been grown commercially on a small scale, chiefly in Michigan and Wisconsin. The dried leaves and tops have long been used medicinally, but the volatile oil distilled from the plant now forms the principal marketable product.

Wormwood will grow in almost any soil, but the best results are to be expected in deep, rich, moderately moist loams. The seeds are frequently sown broadcast early in the fall, following a grain crop; but if the plants are to be cultivated, it is best to start them from seeds sown in seed beds early in the spring or from cuttings of the young shoots taken in the spring and rooted in sand under glass or in the shade of a lath shed. The seeds are very small and should be sown on the surface of the soil in coldframes or seed beds and lightly covered with very fine sandy soil. The plants are easily handled and may be transplanted in moist weather with good results at almost any time during the growing season. They are set about 18 inches apart in rows 3 or 4 feet apart and are well cultivated. The soil should be kept absolutely free from weeds, since their presence in the crop at harvest time seriously damages the quality of the oil. A fair cutting of the herb may be expected the first year after planting and full crops for two or three successive, seasons, after which new plantings will be found more satisfactory.

The plants are harvested when in full bloom and may be cut with a scythe, or a reaper may be used if the area is large. While still fresh, the plants are distilled with steam to obtain the volatile oil. To prepare the leaves and flowering tops for market they are stripped from the stems by hand after the plants are cut and carefully dried in the shade without the use of artificial heat.

Experimental plantings have given yields at the rate of 2,000 pounds of dry tops or 40 pounds of oil per acre. When grown on a commercial scale the yield of oil appears to average about 20 pounds per acre.

The prewar price of the dry tops was about 6 or 7 cents a pound. Its price in June, 1920, was 17 to 18 cents a pound. The oil was once used extensively in the manufacture of absinth, but when the use of this product was restricted in 1912 the demand for the oil fell off and the price declined, until in the early part of 1915 it reached the low level of $2 a pound. The price in June, 1920, was about $13 a pound. The average annual production of oil of wormwood is about 2,000 pounds. Owing to the limited use of this oil, there appears to be little room for further profitable expansion of this industry.

ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE PROCURED FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON, D. C. AT 10 CENTS PER COPY

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Transcriber Note

Illustrations relocated to avoid splitting paragraphs. Minor typos may have been corrected.

End of Project Gutenberg's USDA Farmer's Bulletin 663, by W. W. Stockberger