AGRICULTURE 59 



large, flat, branching tubers, and D. Batatas, " Pai-shao " ; 

 both are cooked and eaten. Around Ichang the tubers 

 of a third species are eaten. This species is known as D. 

 zingiherensis , the " Huang-chiang," or Yellow Ginger. The 

 tuber is bitter, and is valued chiefly as a medicine. Chinese 

 yams do not equal the sweet potato in flavour, and are not so 

 extensively grown. Around Chengtu Pachyrhizus angulatus, 

 the " Ti-kua," is commonly grown. The white, firm-fleshed, 

 turnip-like tubers are eaten either raw or cooked. 



White turnips, " Lo-po," both the long and round kinds, 

 are cultivated everywhere, but the flavour is very poor. Also 

 the so-called red turnip, which really is a Radish [Raphanus 

 sativus). All three are cooked and eaten when fresh, or pre- 

 served by being sliced and dried in the sun. Brassica Napus, 

 var. esculenta, the " Ta-t'ou-ts'ai," is very generally cultivated, 

 but I met with it most frequently on the Chengtu Plain. The 

 whole plant is pickled and eaten with rice. The Szechuanese 

 also cultivate most excellent Kohl-rabi {Brassica oleracea, var. 

 caulo-rapa) . 



Two aroids, Colocasia antiquorum and its variety Fontanesii, 

 " Kiang-tou," are very extensively cultivated for their tubers, 

 which are cooked and eaten in various ways. Both are grown 

 on ridges in flooded ground. The purple-coloured petioles 

 of the "Kiang-tou" are sliced, pickled, and eaten. The 

 flavour of the tubers of these plants is similar to that of 

 the Jerusalem artichoke, but inferior. Sagittaria sagittifolia, 

 " T'zu-ku," is cultivated in Szechuan and Yunnan, and the 

 tubers are cooked and eaten in the same way as those of the 

 Colocasia. The tubers of Scirpus tuberosus, " P'ei-chi," and the 

 fruits of the Water Chestnut [Trapa natans), " Ling-chio," 

 two very common aquatics, are esteemed valuable articles of 

 food. 



The Lotus-lily [Nelumhium speciosum), " Lien hwa," is 

 cultivated both for its seed and its rhizome. These are used 

 as food, but being expensive are luxuries enjoyed only by the 

 wealthy. The fibres of the rhizome are used medicinally. 

 Ginger {Zingiber officinale), " Seng-chiang," is very extensively 

 grown. It is prepared for the table in various ways. From 

 Canton, ginger preserved in sugar is exported in quantity to 



