18 



per cent. Tubers of 3 to 5 ounces in weight are preferable for 

 planting. For field culture the tubers, unless very small or very 

 large, are planted, singly and entire, from 2 to 3 inches deep in 

 hills 3 feet apart, the distance between rows being 4 feet. This 

 will permit horse cultivation. In cultivating during the summer 

 the soil should be gradually drawn to the i^lants and the plants 

 kept free from weeds ; they usually require little cultivation after 

 becoming large enough to shade the ground. Well-grown plants 

 will reach a height of 4^ to 6 feet or more by midsummer. 



'"The crop matures in about seven months, although the tubers 

 can be utilized for home use in six months or less from planting. 

 The harvesting of the main crops may be deferred a month or 

 two, if desired, but if it is to be done at one time, in order to 

 have w-arm, dry weather for the dasheens to dry properly on 

 the ground, it would not be delayed till there is danger of frost. 

 For this reason it will usually be best to harvest dasheens some- 

 time in October. It will sometimes prove advantageous in prac- 

 tically frost-free localities or where the roots can be protected to 

 leave them in the ground until wanted for use or until spring. 



"Where soil and climatic conditions are favorable, dasheens 

 will produce from 4 to 10 pounds or more to the plant. Under 

 experimental conditions at Rrooksville, Fla.. in different soils 

 and in different seasons, the Department of Aericulture has 

 secured yields ranging from 140 to 450 bushels to the acre. Satis- 

 factory results have not been obtained, even in good soil, when 

 two successive crops of dasheens are grown on the same ground. 



"The growing of a dasheen crop is probably no more expensive 

 than that of a potato crop. Although the season for the dasheen 

 is much longer than that for the potato, the large leaves of the 

 former tend by shading to keep down w^eeds after midseason." 

 — ]'oiiii!^. Office of Plant Iiitrodiictioii. Circ. 12'/. 



Gcos^rapliical Distribution. 



Kalo is supposedly a native of India, from there havinu' been 

 taken to Ceylon, Sumatra, Malav Archii)elago, China. Ja]ian and 

 Fgvpt. In more recent times it was brought to Fiji and New 

 Zealand. 



The Rev. T. CI. llamniond, in an article on the krdo in the 

 Tournal of the Polynesian Society (Vol. 3. IS'^4. p. 10.5). oives 

 the following: "Commonly received tradition all along the West 

 Coast of the North Island of New Zealand . . respecting 



the origin of the tarn ... A 'jreat ancestor of the Nga- 

 rauru and Nyatiuanni lribe>. n.'imeil M;ini. in oiu' nf bi^ VdNajics 

 frr)ni ITawaiki. toucbed at an island callid Tc W'.nruangangana. 

 and there became awnre of the l.-iro a^ an article n\ food. 



"On his return 1o TIawaiki. Maru took with him some of the 

 brr)nfl leaves of the taro, which. loLrether with his description of 

 the food, so excited the jiconlc dial tliey fitted out an expedi- 

 tir)n to find ai/ain the island Te Wairuangangana. rmd to secmx 



