134 RIVERSIDE LETTERS xvil 



wall ; they grew and covered a large space 

 with pretty leaves and bright little flowers 

 of a decorative character. It is a native 

 of Peru, where, it is said, the tubers are 

 eaten. It is not quite hardy with us and 

 the tubers have to be taken up in the winter 

 and stored. When I went a week ago to 

 do this I found that each plant had formed 

 a huge mass of rather pretty looking tubers, 

 growing after the manner of potatoes, which I 

 have dried and put away. I thought I should 

 like to try what they tasted like, and so I 

 washed and boiled one or two. They boiled 

 soft and were of a yellowish colour inside, 

 with a strong aromatic and rather peculiar 

 flavour ; not nice enough, however, to induce 

 me to cultivate them for the table. 



