[SAFFLOWER.]
Safflower, American saffron, or false saffron (Carthamus tinctorius) is a hardy Old World annual of the aster family, cultivated in gardens in this country for its flowers, which are used in coloring or for flavoring, and sometimes as a substitute for the true saffron.
Safflower grows well on moist soils and may be readily propagated from seeds sown in the open early in the spring. The soil should be fine and mellow, and the seeds sown an inch or more apart in drills and well covered. About three weeks from the time of sowing the seed the plants will be well started, and cultivation should begin at once and be continued until the flower buds form. The plants bloom in July or August, when harvesting may begin. Only the florets are collected, and, since these must be removed by hand, harvesting is slow and expensive. The plants continue to blossom for several weeks, and the florets must be harvested almost daily. It is best to collect them early in the morning and to dry them in the shade on trays having muslin bottoms. The florets should be turned daily until thoroughly dry and then stored in tin containers.
The yield is estimated at 125 to 150 pounds of dry florets per acre. The price for safflower is variable and ranges from 19 to 60 cents a pound.
[SAFFRON.]
The true saffron (Crocus sativus) is a low-growing, fall-blooming, bulbous plant of the iris family, native to southern Europe, where it is cultivated commercially. It was formerly grown as a small garden crop in some localities in this country, chiefly in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties, Pa. The stigmas of the flowers form the saffron of commerce. Saffron is used in cookery and for coloring confectionery, and was formerly widely used in medicine.
A rich, well-drained garden soil favors a vigorous growth of the plant, but a better quality of saffron is secured on land of medium fertility. It is propagated from bulbs (corms), which may be planted in August about 6 inches apart each way and 6 inches deep in well-prepared soil. When grown on a large scale the bulbs are often set late in the spring. The ground is laid off in rows about 20 inches apart, and a furrow 6 to 8 inches deep is opened for each row. In this furrow the bulbs are set in two parallel rows about 4 inches apart and about 2 inches apart in the row. The furrows are then filled and the surface of the soil brought to a uniform level. Thorough cultivation and freedom from weeds are essential for good results.