72 THE BOOK OF RARER VEGETABLES 



tuber being much sweeter and more floury, like Potatoes. 

 The tubers command a much better price than the Potato, 

 and at La Pax are largely cultivated ; the soil being most 

 fertile, they grow freely. At Lima the leaves and tops of 

 the plant are used as a salad, and even in this country I 

 have seen it used in the same way as Spinach or Sorrel ; 

 indeed it somewhat resembles the last named plant, as it 

 contains a considerable quantity of oxalic acid. The 

 young stems of this plant, also others of the species, 



TUBERS OF OKA-PLANT, OXAL1S CRENATA 

 (One-third natural size) 



have been used in tarts ; but I should add, used thus the 

 tarts would need a lot of sweetening or flavouring. The 

 culture is peculiar ; the aim is to get as many tubers as 

 possible from the stems. The soil must be light, rich, 

 and warm, and the tuber is propagated like the Potato, 

 leaving an eye to each tuber. Cuttings also take root 

 freely if placed in a warm bed in March or April and 

 planted out in May and June in rows 3 feet apart and 2 

 feet between the plants. The shoots are best earthed 

 up as growth is made, and this is continued several times 

 till the early autumn September when the tubers begin 

 to form. They will be ready for use in November and 

 may be kept good for months if taken up and stored in 

 sand in a cool place, kept quite dry, as damp or frost soon 

 decays the tubers. The plant does not thrive in wet or 



