.\IGUST 15, 1915 



093 



statement is at least exaggerated unless we 

 take into consideration its value as green 

 feed as well as the value of the seed for 

 chickens, 



THK DASHKKX AND ITS PRESENT STANDING. 



1 have before expressed surprise that 

 none of our northern seedsmen, who are 

 supposed to be on the lookout for every- 

 thing new pertaining to the garden, have 

 never made any mention of the dasheen. 

 Just now, however, tlie Henry Field Co., of 

 Shenandoah, Iowa, has given it a place. 

 Below is something clipped from the Coun- 

 try Gentleman in regard to it: 



TROGRESS WITH THE DASHEEN. 



Ever since the Federal Division of Foreign Seed 

 and Plant Introduction began its experiments with 

 the dasheen this West Indian crop has proved itself 

 well worth care. In 1909 the Department recorded 

 a South Carolina planting of dasheens that yielded 

 at the rate of 400 bushels to the acre. Since then 

 from less than five acres on the Department's testing 

 grounds at Brooksville, Florida, 1400 bushels of 

 dasheens have been harvested. From other plantings 

 ia Florida and Louisiana as much as twenty-two 

 pounds of dasheens has been harvested from single 

 hills. 



In addition to the Florida, Louisiana, and Carolina 

 crops, the dasheen has been sucessfully grown near 

 Norfolk, Virginia; in Southern California, and near 

 Uay, Arizona. It promises well for use in irrigated 

 sections of the semi-arid Southwest. 



It would seem that the Department's success with 

 dasheen plantings fits in admirably with the new 

 Southern campaign for crop diversification. Not 

 only does the dasheen promise well as a market crop 

 once the public generally has recognized its merits, 

 but in the meantime it is capable of furnishing food 

 for home consumption. Its food value is higher than 

 that of the potato. The dasheen contains less water 

 than the potato, and about fifty per cent more pro- 

 tein and fifty per cent more starch. The flavor of 

 the dasheen is decidedly richer and more tempting 

 ilian that of the potato. 



Robert A. Young, of the Department, says that in 

 more ways than one the dasheen outdoes the potato. 



" It can be grown as a summer crop in a region 

 where the potato must be grown almost entirely as 

 a spring crop," he argues, " for it ripens its tubers 

 in October and furnishes them for the table at a 

 season when northern-grown potatoes have to be 

 shipped in. 



" The young leaves, properly cooked, can be sub- 

 stituted for spinach The branched shoots, obtained 

 by forcing dasheen corms in the dark, constitute an 

 entirely new product. The nutty flavor of the tubers 

 gives them a peculiar palatability." 



The larger tubers are ground into flour, which is 

 used for soups and gruels, and is mixed with wheat 

 or rye flour to make griddlecakes, biscuits, and 

 bread. 



.\t present the dasheen appears to be no more 

 difficult to keep in storage than the sweet potato, 

 but will usually keep well if stored in a dry place 

 at a temperature of about sixty degrees Fahrenheit. 



We are also told tliat the Department of 

 AgrJ'^ulture has recently issued another cir- 

 cular concerning it. Although the dasheen 

 is still mostly confined to the South, yet I 

 might say we are now growing our third 

 crop liere in nortliern Ohio, and I feel more 

 and more .^^atisfied that it can be grown 



profitably all over our northern states; and 

 it will ultimately prove to be one of our 

 uiost nourishing and toothsome vegetables. 



IIA.SHIOIO.V IN ALABAMA A SUCCESS, ETC. 



Last year the two bulbs of dasheens that we re- 

 ceived from you were planted and cared for care- 

 fully and this spring we had over one hundred bulbs 

 to set out, besides some to give to our schoolchildren 

 and neighbors to try. We are in the backwoods 

 here, and people are much interested in the modern 

 method of handling bees. Some time I will write 

 you of the work we are trying to do along the line 

 of missionary work, as I know you will be interest- 

 ed. Your last magazine has just arrived, and wife 

 immediately laid aside all work till she had glanced 

 over your article. 



Semmes, Ala., May 18. C. D. Griffin. 



STHIPED SQUASH-BUGS — A SURE REMEDY ¥0R 

 THEM. 



As a rule, cliickens and a garden do not 

 go very well together unless one or both are 

 inside of a chicken-proof inclosure. But 

 there are exceptions. Listen to the good 

 brother below: 



FHend Root: — I have just been reading in 

 Gleanings of your troubles with the striped cucum- 

 ber-bug. Prior to this year I have tried about all 

 the remedies ever suggested, and failed generally. 

 This year, just as the melons and cucumbers were 

 cojuing up, I took an old hen and about twenty day- 

 old chicks, put the hen in a coop, let the chicks all 

 lun at large in the patch, and in a few days the 

 bugs came "a plenty;" and what those chicks did 

 for them was "a plenty" also. And grow? I 

 never saw chicks do better. When they began to 

 scratch I moved them out and put in younger ones. 

 This scheme worked for me, and I pass it along for 

 '.vhat it is Avorth. I might say, with things in this 

 shape I slept all right at night and went to church 

 on Sunday. CvRus H. Cline. 



Mt. Solon, Va., July 23. 



Many thanks, friend C. If I hadn't been 

 stupid I should have thought of the hen and 

 chickens before; but knowing that chickens 

 will not eat the common potato-beetle I did 

 not feel sui'e that they would eat the sti-iped 

 squash-bugs. The next point is, to be sure 

 to have the chickens on hand when needed. 

 1 have been telling j'ou that when you set 

 a hen you should plant some radish seed so 

 as to have it ready for greens. Now we 

 shall have to say, also, when you plant your 

 squashes you should set a hen or two hens, 

 and then you can all go to church. This 

 reminds me that another brother had trou- 

 ble with the bugs as well as myself. Read 

 •v\ hat he says: 



Mr. Root: — For a number of years I have used a 

 powder made of eijuiil parts of slacked (dog) lime 

 and stovewood ashes. After being dusted the plants 

 look a little dull and dry, but the powder soon scales 

 oil', and the plants look healthier, brighter, and get 

 a .stronger growth than before. I have used this 

 powder to drive away yellow striped bugs from 

 pumpkin plants, melons, etc., with good success, 

 and prefer it to any other remedy. Try it on one 

 plant, and I am sure you will use it on all you have. 



Elgin, Iowa. E. H. Ostoood. 



