The purplish blossoms usually appear about October, but the main leaf growth of the plant is made in the following spring. The bulbs may remain undisturbed for three or four years, or they may be taken up yearly and the clusters divided. All unsound bulbs should be rejected, as they are often attacked by a fungus which readily spreads to the sound bulbs, causing them to rot. During the blossoming period, which frequently lasts from two to three weeks, the flowers are collected daily just as they open. The orange-colored stigmas are then removed from the flowers, either by pulling them out or by cutting them off with the finger nail, after which the flowers are thrown away. The stigmas are dried immediately, a common method being to spread them in a thin layer on a sieve which is suspended over a low fire. When fully dry they are placed in linen bags and stored in a dry place.
The yield of saffron is variously estimated at from 10 to 30 pounds per acre, according to the situation where it Is grown. About 50,000 flowers are required to produce a pound of dry saffron; consequently, the amount of hand labor involved in removing the stigmas is quite large. The price usually received for saffron in normal times is not far from $8 a pound, but the prices in June, 1920, ranged from $14 to $15 a pound. Owing to the high cost of production, it is not thought probable that saffron culture would prove profitable in the United States.
[SAGE.]
The common sage plant (Salvia officinalis) is a hardy perennial of the mint family, widely cultivated in gardens, and when once established it persists for several years. The leaves are used extensively for seasoning meats and soups, and a tea made from them is an old household remedy.
Sage is easily cultivated and will grow in any well-drained fertile soil, but seems to thrive best in a rich clayey loam. For cultivation on a large scale the seeds are sown in early spring in rows from 2 to 3 feet apart, and when the plants are well up they are thinned to stand about 12 inches apart in the row. Seedling plants have a tendency to produce narrow leaves; hence, the broad-leaved varieties which do not flower readily are the most desirable, since they give a larger yield of leaves. As the plants rarely set seed, they are usually grown from cuttings, which may be obtained from seed houses having their own propagating gardens. Cuttings set as early in the spring as weather conditions will permit usually give a large crop. In the North the plants should be protected In winter by a mulch of manure. Sage may also be grown as a second crop after early vegetables.
A fair crop of leaves may be harvested the first season and a much larger one for five or six years following. Only one picking should be made the first year, after which two or three pickings may be made in a season. If a product of fine quality is desired, the leaves are picked by hand and dried in the shade. Sage leaves are apt to turn black while drying unless the removal of moisture proceeds continually until they are fully dry. A cheap grade may be obtained at a smaller harvest cost by cutting the plants with a mower, the cutter bar of which is set at such a height as not to include the woody stems. The dry herb should be marketed promptly, since it loses its strength rapidly with age.
Returns from experimental areas indicate that on good soil a yield of 2,000 pounds or more of dried tops per acre may be expected. In case the leaves only are harvested, the yield will be proportionately less. American leaf sage usually brings a considerably higher price than that imported from Europe. During the last three years the price has ranged from 20 to 70 cents a pound, according to supply and demand.
