JULY 15, 1913 



471 



half white flour, also for making cookies. 

 We passed them around the neighborhood, 

 and they all voted them fine — better than 

 biscuits and cookies made entirely of wlieat 

 flour. But tlie best results were attained 

 with pancakes of one-fourth graham flour 

 and three-fourths of dasheen flour. These, 

 with maple molasses, were certainly deli- 

 cious. 



Will dasheen flour ever be a successful 

 rival to common wheat flour? It looks to 

 me quite likely ; for I believe it is certainly 

 a more nourishing food if possible. Then 

 consider that 50 bushels per acre is a big 

 crop of wheat, and few farmers come up 

 to that. But the dasheen has been made to 

 yield at the rate of 500 to 800 bushels. 



Here is another one of my " happy sur- 

 prises." The Department at Washington 

 laas just put out a veiy pretty bulletin of 

 twelve pages entitled "The Dasheen, a Root 

 Crop for the Southern States." It contains 

 two pictures of the gTowing crop and a 

 very nice picture of the tubers. From this 

 bulletin I make the following extract : 



The nutty flavor of the tubers gives them a pe- 

 culiar palatability which has struck the fancy of a 

 large number of persons. The higher nitrogenous 

 and starchy character gives them an advantage as 

 food that would seem to make the plant, when com- 

 pared with the potato, an even more valuable food- 

 producer. 



RECIPES FOE THE PREPARATION OF THE DASHEEN. 



This vegetable is a staple article of food for mil- 

 lions of people in tropical and subtropical countries. 

 In general it is used in the different ways in which 

 the white potato is used. It may also be candied 

 like the sweet potato. The flesh of the corms and 

 large tubers is frequently somewhat gray or violet 

 when cooked, but this does not affect the flavor. 



When uncooked dasheens are being scraped or 

 pared they should be handled in water to which a 

 teaspoonful of sal soda to the quart has been added, 

 in order to prevent irritation to the hands. 



BAKED DA.SIIEENS. 



Dasheens, large or small, may be baked like pota- 

 toes, in a quick oven. They should first be washed 

 and scrubbed to remove the fibrous part of the skin. 

 When practicable to do so it is often desirable to 

 scrape the dasheens before baking, as they are then 

 more convenient for eating, and the soft crust which 

 forms when they are properly baked is particularly 

 delicious. The corms may be cut in half from top 

 to base in order to lessen the time needed for bak- 

 ing. The time required is about the same as for 

 potatoes of the same size. They should be served hot. 

 Season with salt and plenty of butter, and pepper 

 if desired. Gravy instead of butter may be used. 



The dasheen when properly baked and served is 

 mealy, and the flavor is much like that of the white 

 potato, but more or less suggestive of chestnuts. If 

 not overbaked, the skin when properly scrubbed or 

 scraped beforehand will be found of delicious flavor. 

 As the dasheen is drier than the potato it requires 

 more butter. 



Additional copies of this publication may be pro- 

 cured from the Superintendent of Documents, Gov- 

 ernment Printing Office, Washington, D. C, at 5 cts. 

 per copy. 



The dasheen is used in enormous quanti- 

 ties in Cuba, where it is known by the 

 Spanish name of malanga. 



THE HIGH COST OF LIVING ; HOW OUR MISSIONARIES 

 MAY HELP TO REDUCE IT. 



Friend Root: — I presume you will not remem- 

 ber meeting me in Medina some ten or twelve years 

 ago ; but knowing that you are interested in our 

 work, and have taken a part in it, I think I may 

 venture to address you as above. It was through 

 your kindness in sending me a letter of introduction 

 to the Wright Brothers, while I was at home on 

 furlough year before last, that I met Mr. Orville 

 Wright (also father and sister), and saw him fly. 

 The fact that Gleanings has been coming to me for 

 years I take to be a substantial proof of the A. I. 

 Roof Company's interest in foreign missions in gen- 

 eral and in our mission in particular. I have read 

 your department with much interest and pleasure; 

 and seeing your interest in every good work I can 

 only regard you as one of our number — a missionary. 

 I have often felt like writing you after reading your 

 kind and helpful messages, but have felt that it 

 would not be wise to impose on your time; but upon 

 reading what you say about the " dasheen " in 

 Gleanings for March 1, 1913, and noticing that I 

 am left out of your proposal to send a " dasheen 

 tuber to every reader of Gleanings — that is, to 

 every one who sends the subscription price for one 

 year," since I receive it free, I have decided to write 

 to see if I can not arrange to receive a tuber also. 



.Now, I suppose we must have something like the 

 " dasheen," only we know it by the name " ama- 

 dumbe." There are several varieties here — some very 

 large, but almost worthless ; others smaller, and 

 highly esteemed as food. By the time this reaches 

 you and I can receive a reply from you, our ama- 

 dumbe will be about ripe, I think, and it will also be 

 a favorable time for sending them so far by post. 

 Now, if you would like to try some of our best 

 variety of amadumbe, and compare them with the 

 dasheen, and will so notify me, I will endeavor to 

 send you a sample packet registered. We also have 

 very nice sweet potatoes here. One variety we prize 

 higher than the others, because of its very vigorous 

 and quick growth combined with excellent eating 

 qualities. It is quite the opposite of " vineless," but 

 my experience has been the less vine the less vigor. 

 If you would like a sample of these also, I will send 

 them. Now, if in exchange for the above-mentioned 

 samples you are willing to put me on the list of 

 recipients of one of the Trinidad dasheen tubers 

 ( I should like to see how it compares with our 

 amadumbe), I shall be pleased; otherwise I think 

 I sliall have to send my subscription to Gleanings. 



I, too, enjoy hunting up " God's gifts." 



I am addressing you at Medina, as this will reach 

 you in summer; but presume the samples should go 

 to your Florida address. 



W. L. Thompson, M. D. 



Mount Silinda, Melsetter, Rhodesia, South Africa, 

 April 25, 1913. 



My good friend, I was not only delighted 

 to receive your kind words and your offer 

 to lake me among you as a " missionary," 

 but I am grateful to you for the opportu- 

 nity of testing some of God's gifts that 

 come 'way off from South Africa. I pre- 

 sume likely my Florida home will be the 

 place to test them; but I am so anxious to 

 get hold of the tubers, both amadumbe and 

 sweet potato, that I wish you would send 

 me a very small package here, Medina, and 

 a larger one in time to reach me at my 

 Florida home some time in November; and 

 if you will tell what the postage will be 

 I will remit that also. I should like agood- 

 gized package sent to Florida. I will see 



