subsequent trials. As the root requires a longer applica- 

 tion of heat than the vegetables in common use, a part of 

 the distaste which has been felt for it, may have been caused 

 by insufficient dressing. At all events, a vegetable, which 

 has, for so many ages been the constant and favourite food 

 of a considerable portion of the population of South Ame- 

 rica, in preference even to the potato, which is there indi- 

 genous, ought not to be thought undeserving of a fair trial 

 in the way of cultivation in Jamaica." 



When the Arracacha had arrived at perfection, Dr. 

 Bancroft determined it to belong to a new Genus, to 

 which he gave the native name of the plant, with a more 

 euphonious termination, Arracacia, and the species he 

 designated xanthorhiza, to distinguish it from a white 

 and purple -rooted kind, which, however, he afterwards, 

 I believe, justly deemed to be only a variety : hence Pro- 

 fessor De Candolle's reason for changing it. To Dr. 

 Bancroft I am indebted for drawings and many details 

 of this plant, as our Garden is for the roots. With these 

 valuable helps, I have been able here to give a more 

 correct figure than that which appeared in the Exotic 

 Flora. Still the fruit is a desideratum ;— neither in Tri- 

 nidad, nor in Jamaica, nor in Britain, have perfect seeds 

 been formed : the fruit has invariably fallen away before 

 the seeds were ripe. The plants increase considerably by 

 the roots ; and by removing the offsets from the parent 

 roots, and keeping them through the winter, as the roots 

 of Dahlias are kept, Mr. Murray has found them to vege- 

 tate readily in the Spring, and to succeed in a warm 

 situation, even in the open air. 



Dr. Bancroft relates the following method of cultivating 

 this plant at Bogota ; which is, after separating the upper 

 tubers, or knobs, from the root, to detach from these the 

 offsets, singly, each with its portion of the substance of the 

 tuber, which is then to be pared smoothly all round at the 

 bottom, the outer leaves being stripped or cut off, so as to 

 kave a sprout from half to two or three inches at the most. 

 If any germs or eyes be seen at the base of the offsets, these 

 must be carefully cut out. Thus prepared, the shoots are 

 Planted in loose mould, in a slanting direction, at distances 

 of fifteen or eighteen inches from each other, whether the 

 ground be level or sloping. Afterwards, at intervals of 

 about two months, the soil ought to be weeded ; and when 

 the plants have attained the height often or twelve inches, 

 °r whenever they show a disposition to blossom, the bud- 

 ' ding 



