i8l 



articles in all hot countries, Central America included. This ap- 

 parently paradoxical fact will undoubtedly be explained when the 

 history of agriculture is better known. 



The family Araceae is one of the most interesting and impor- 

 tant in the realm of plants, the genus Colocasia alone includes 

 about fifty edible varieties (thetaros) and XantJwsoma (the taniers) 

 holds about the same number of kinds. Until recently the 

 taniers were confused with the taros, the usual local confusion 

 of names helping to perpetuate the error even amongst those who 

 must have known better. To be sure there is some similarity 

 between the two plants in their appearance above ground, but the 

 intrinsic characters of the leaves, flowers, and roots are very dis- 

 tinct. 



Though its varieties have scores of names throughout Tropical 

 America, "' Yautia" is probably the oldest name of which we have 

 any record ; this was the general term applied by the aborigines 

 when the Spaniards arrived in Porto Rico, the island which, from 

 the first, was most famous for its agricultural advancement. And 

 in this island has the " Yautia" reached its highest development — 

 running here into some twenty distinct native varieties. About ten 

 kinds are grown in the Windward Islands ; northern South Ame- 

 rica has but very few ; Cuba and Hayti have half a dozen or less ; 

 and the few varieties of Central America appear coarse and un- 

 producttve in comparison with the Porto Rican sorts. Taya, 

 Tanier, or Cocoe are the common names in the British West In- 

 dies ; in Cuba and Santo Domingo both Taro und Tanier are in- 

 cluded under the name " Malanga ;" while in the Central American 

 republics it passes under almost as many names as there are In- 

 dian tribes. 



Few plants yield a higher proportion of food material for the 

 weight of the entire plant than does the Tanier; in fact fully 75 

 percent, of the weight of some types is food. In the " Rollisa" 

 variety of Porto Rico the tubers comprise about 35 per cent, of 

 the weight of the living plant and the edible rootstock about 20 

 per cent, more ; the young leaves are also edible, closely resem- 

 bling spinach when boiled, but having more " body" and a richer 

 flavour. The central stem, or rhizome, of many varieties is com- 

 monly eaten by the poorer classes but contains some fibre and only 

 15 to 20 per cent, of starch. 



The obovoid or roundish tuberous roots are borne just below 

 the surface of the soil, loosely attached at right angles to the cen- 

 tral stem. In cropping, the leaves are grasped in the hands and 

 the whole mass of tubers usually comes up with one good pull, 

 and a quick shake will detach most of them from the parent root. 

 Individual tubers weigh from a few ounces in some types to one 

 and one-half or even two pounds in the better sorts. Each plant 

 produces from two to four pounds, but since six thousand to ten 

 thousand plants can be grown on an acre the yield is six to twenty 

 tons of superior roots containing 20 per cent, to 30 per cent, of 

 starch and little fibrous matter. Five to ten tons of the rhizomes, 

 which may be utilized for feeding swine or for making starch, 



