4i6 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[Dec. I, 1886. 



belliferce.* In Spanish it is known as Apio (from 

 the Latin Apiiun, celery), and is in appearance 

 as a growing plant similar to celery, as a sub- 

 stitute for which the tender shoots can be used. 

 It may be used with advantage when celery or 

 parsley is used. It is also described as being some- 

 what like the hemlock, but its leaves are broader, 

 its stem is dark-green, d'^eply striated but not 

 spotted ; it grows to about three feet high and its 

 flowers are of a dingy, purple colour. The roots, 

 which are the object of the cultivation, are large 

 and divided into several tubers which in shape 

 and size are like short carrots, but more oval or 

 rounded and irregular in shape. As food, tlie tubers 

 are very wholesome and nutritious, and when 

 boiled are firm and have a flavour interiiiediate 

 between a chestnut and a parsnip. A f.'fcula, 

 analogous to arrowroot, is obtained from tlie root 

 by rasping in water, as starch is from the potato. 

 The yield in tubers is very large and as much 

 as 16 tons can be had from land that will 

 not bring more than 9 or 10 tons of potatoes. 

 There are .SO heaped bushels to the ton ; so, 

 put this at the low rate of '>0 cents per bushel, and 

 so make your calculation. The mean temperature 

 of the Arracacha country is said to range from 

 64 deg. to 82 deg. ; the tuber is cultivated at an 

 elevation from 4,000 to 6,000 feet above sea-level, 

 the night temperature being from .55 deg. to 65 deg. 

 in the shade. The climate is said to be free from the 

 extremes of frosty cold weather and dry summer 

 heat ; it is one of continual moist. Would not this 

 suit your beloved "Nuwara Eliya," Mr. Editor! 



The Arracacha requires a deep, rich soil, or loose 

 mould like the potato ; and the ground if thoroughly 

 cultivated so as to provide a deep friable clean 

 bed, will give well-developed roots. A large number 

 of sets is produced by one plant and the propagation 

 is rapid. The mof/f/io/^cruHr// is as follows : the pro- 

 pagation of the Arracacha is effected by the 

 separation from the plant at maturity of a number 

 of small peduncles or heads (leaf-stalks) spreading 

 from the central root, which also underground 

 throws out the carrot-shaped horns which are the 

 best of the edible part. The hard upper part of the 

 central tuber to which these leaf stalks are attached 

 serves for hogs or cattle, as do the leaves for the latter. 



The planting is done in rows, with a distance 

 of from three to lour feet between each row, and 

 as much between each in the rows. The sets are 

 planted by simply making a hole in the prepared 



* We quote from the "Treasury of Botany" aS 

 follows : — 



Arracacha. A name applied by the natives of the 

 northern parts of South America to several kinds of 

 plants, possessing tubers or tuberous roots, but, bota- 

 nically speaking, confined to a genus of Umbellifer- 

 ous plants allied to the hemlock. Its principal dis- 

 tinguishing characteristics are — limb of the calyx 

 entire ; petals ovate or lance-shaped, purplish, with 

 the point bent inwards; fruit turgid, compressed from 

 side to side, wingVss, surmounted by the thickened 

 bases of the style ; albumen curved, A e.icuJenta is cul- 

 tivated in the cooler mountainous districts of Nortli- 

 ern South America, where the roots form the staple 

 diet of the iidiabitants. Tne plant is somewhat like 

 the hemlock. {Ooninm macu/atum), but its leaves are 

 broader, its stem not spotted, and its flowers are of 

 a dirgy purple colour; the roots are \nrgc and di- 

 vided into several fieshy lobes of the size of a carrot 

 wbicn when i)oiled are firm and have a flavour in- 

 termediate between a chestnut, and u parsnip. Trials 

 have been made to cultivate the plant in this country 

 bat the climate has not been found suited for it; It 

 might be tried iu some of our colonies with .ndvant- 

 age. M. T. M. 



The name Arracacha is also given to one of the 

 truba-bearing species of Oxalis, O. crenata, — T. ]\I. 



ground about six inches deep with a pointed stick 

 and inserting the set slanting with the concave of 

 its curve upwards, and then treading in the soil 

 slightly leaving the short bit of the stem barely 

 at the surface. The average length of the set 

 with the small piece of root attached will not 

 exceed three to five inches. The set being broken 

 off, the root should be neatly trimmed to a clean 

 smooth surface. Weeding and earthing- up con- 

 stitute the subsequent citlture as often as re- 

 quired. It is customary also when the plant grows 

 large to gather together the leaves and twist their 

 necks moderately — a j)rocess said to prevent run- 

 ning into head and favouring the development of 

 the root. There does not seem to be any particular 

 season for planting. In favourable situations 

 the planting may take place whenever ground and 

 seed are available and probably the close of the 

 well-defined dry season would be the safest period. 

 The plant requires from 10 to 12 months to reach 

 maturity, but the tubers (or carrot-shaped roots) 

 may be gathered two months earlier than this period 

 if much wanted. In this event, of course, the jDro- 

 duce in quantity is less, but it is said to be equally 

 wholesome and agreeable to the taste. 



As to diseases properly so called, the Arracacha 

 has none. Occasionally, when exposed to much 

 drought it becomes as it were frost Ijitten, in which 

 state it boils semi-transparent and remains hard 

 after cooking, and is unfit for human food. If, 

 however, plants so affected are allowed to remain 

 till the return of the rains and to renew their 

 foliage, the root will recover. Manure is never 

 employed. I can, therefore, give no opinion based 

 on experience as to its application. 



But analogy would indicate that, as in the case 

 of the other edible roots, the support and stimulus 

 of manure could hardly fail to produce greatly- 

 increased crops and improve quality of same. 

 Wild Silk in Burmah. 

 You will, I am sure, be glad to learn that the 

 wild silks of British Burmah are attracting at- 

 tention ; and that those prepared and sent last 

 year by the local Government to some English 

 manufactories for experiment have been pronounced 

 superior tlian Chinese and Indian tuamr silks. 



A further supply is now being prepared under 

 the orders of the Chief, Sir Charles Bernard, and 

 will be submitted for experiment to some of the 

 leading Continental manufactories. 

 Tea IX BuEMAH. 

 You seem to be all T., all tea ; the T. A-is monthly 

 all T. and the Observer is all tea (and tea machinery). 

 Well, you have set me planting T. T. I have planted 

 up 34 odd acres this year, and my tea-plants are 

 really splendid from 2 to 3 feet high already, other 

 products covering the ground some places rather 

 too thick, in fact. As I have written you at greater 

 length than I intended to do, I shall forbear until 

 my next on planting, when I shall give you a line 

 on planting and our troublesome war. 

 IxDiGo IN Burmah. 

 Indigo manufactured in British Burmah has been 

 sent to India for valuation during the present year. 

 It is known that Indigo grew wild in the country, 

 and that the Chins and other hill-tribes extracted 

 a dye from the plant. No manufactured indigo 

 had, however, been sent to India ; and the first 

 attempt has been made by a native of India named 

 Kafir-nel-din, on the Wimpadnoo island of the 

 Shwegyin district. The cultivation was tried on 

 a small scale, but it was sulHcient to prove that 

 indigo could, in certain localities, be cu tivated in 

 the plains of Burmah. The indigo manufactuVed 

 was valued at only £0 to £6 10s per maund. The 

 defects pointed out in the report can be corrected 

 by more careful mauufaoture. 



