170 THE BOOK OF VEGETABLES 



OCA (Oxalis crenatd) is a South American tuber- 

 bearing-plant, little cultivated in North America, It 

 is grown for its tender leaves and shoots (used like 

 sorrel for salads or greens) but chiefly for its tubers. 

 These, somewhat acid when fresh, turn sweet when 

 exposed to the sun for a few days in woolen bags; 

 when completely dried by this process, they taste like 

 figs. The plant needs a long season and is very tender 

 to frost. 



Start the tubers under glass in March, or 



Plant outdoors when frosts are past. 



Soil. Light, warm and rich. 



Distances. Three feet by three feet. 



Depth. Two to three inches. 



Take cuttings from growing plants, like sweet 

 potatoes. 



Culture. Preserve the surface mulch until the 

 vines cover the ground. Cover the stems with earth 

 wherever they root, and more tubers will be produced. 



Dig when the vines are killed by frost. 



Dry as above. 



OKRA, or Gumbo, or Gombo (Hibiscus esculentus) 

 is a hot-weather and very tender plant grown as an an- 

 nual for its seed-pods, which are picked while tender for 

 use in soups, stews or as a vegetable, or are dried or 

 canned for winter use. Okra is of growing popularity, 

 its mucilaginous effect being agreeable to many, though 



