NOVEMBER 1, 1913 



As to the quality of the dasheen as a food, we 

 have boiled aud roasted them; and while they are 

 fine grained, and of fair quality, we prefer a good 

 Irish potato. No doubt they will be more palatable 

 when fully matured. 



Bradentown, Fla., Sept. 30. 



Later. — A man by the name of Young, represent- 

 ing the State Agricultural College at Brooksvillo, 

 called to-day and took some pictures of my dasheeu. 

 Mr. Young noted the size of the plants and the 

 method of cultivation, soil, etc., and he said that he 

 regarded ray patch of dasheen as the best in the 

 State, with the exception of some at the college farm 

 at Brooksville. 



When I asked Mr. Young his opinion in regard 

 to the food value of the dasheen he said he thought 

 it was going to be of great value, especially to Flor- 

 ida. He said the dasheen is at its best when fully, 

 matured, and when dug they should be aired and 

 dried for a few days. 



We have had no rain, until now, for several days, 

 and the air to-day was delightfully cool and pleasant. 



Bradentown, Fla.. Oct. 3. Abthur E. Ault. 



The above corroborates what 1 have said 

 about dasheens before perfect maturity. 

 They are very fair eating, but nothing like 

 the hard, solid, matured tubers sent me by 

 the Department. The young shoots, how- 

 ever, and tender leaves, are all right, and 

 make a very good substitute for mushrooms 

 or o^-sters, with a few crackers added. The 

 writer of the above, Mr. Ault, is a near 

 neighbor of mine; in fact, his place is just 

 on the other side of my fence. The dash- 

 eens he mentions grew on the same damp 

 piece of ground where I found those won- 

 derful Northey benies described in Gleax- 

 INGS about two years ago. 



DASHEEX SEED — WHY IS IT NOT IX OUR SEED 

 CATALOGS ? 



Ever so manj^ are asking the above ques- 

 tion ; and for the first time I find a brief 

 mention of it in a seed or plant catalog for 

 the spring of 1913. This catalog of plants 

 has just this bi'ief mention, and nothing 

 more: 



" Dasheen, similar to the caladium, 10 

 cents each." 



As the question recently came up in 

 Gleanings as to how long dasheen could 

 be kept for seed, the following letter an- 

 swers the question : 



Mr. A. I. Root: — Here is a dasheen of last year's 

 growing, which I am sending you to show its keep- 

 ing qualities. It passed the winter in the cellar in a 

 basket with the rest of my crop, and has been lying 

 through the summer neglected on a shelf in the cel- 

 lar. So far as I can see, it is still perfectly sound 

 and able to grow, unless for the fact of its bud 

 having been broken off. I broke it off to see for sure 

 whether it was still fresh. 



Tile root, as you see, is very small. It had to 

 undergo a dry summer in dry ground, so that the 

 plants attained a height of only about seven or 

 eight inches. The roots were, therefore, all small, 

 but were solid, kept well, and grew vigorously when 

 planted. They are of the Japanese variety. This 

 year I planted also some tubers of a West Indian 

 variety, which supposedly is not so well adapted for 

 so far north as this, yet they are making a slightly 



heavier growth than the Japanese; and Ilie .lapanese, 

 in spite of the excessive drouth, have done better 

 this year than last. B. C. Auten. 



Oronogo Fruit Gardens, Carthage, Mo., Oct. 1. 



The above came to hand in perfect condi- 

 tion apparently, and I think there is no 

 question but tliat it will grow; and if so. 

 this settles the question that, when px'operly 

 cared for, the seed will keep as long as a 

 potato, or i^erhaps still longer. 



Please note what I told you last winter — 

 tliat where the bulbs are dry and hard it 

 ordinarily takes three or four weeks for 

 them to shoot up through the ground. 



DASHEENS GROWN IN OHIO; E. C. GREEN, OF 

 THE HYBRID TOMATO, GIVES HIS OPINION. 



Friend Boot: — Thanks to your kindness, a few 

 days ago I enjoyed a treat that I think would have 

 pleased many of the readers of Gleanings — a meal 

 of Ohio-grown dasheens. The tuber we boiled as we 

 did potatoes, which was, perhaps, not best ; and a.s 

 they were not ripe yet, they did not please us as well 

 as good potatoes. But the tops cooked as asparagus 

 were a " happy surprise," for thy compared favor 

 ably with mushrooms. When the fall-bearing straw- 

 berries were introduced I did not get as enthusiastic 

 about them as many, for I thought if they came in 

 competition with peaches, pears, grapes, etc., they 

 would have a hard time; and this has proved true, 

 I think. So with the dasheen. The tuber which will 

 have to compete with the common and sweet potato 

 will have to be extra good; but if the tops compare 

 only with mushrooms they will certainly be a fine 

 thing, for it is always hard to get enough mushrooms 



Stephen (my son) was up from the Experiment 

 Station when we had them cooked, and he said, "We 

 shall certainly have "to try them at the Experiment 

 Station next year." 



Medina, Ohio, Oct. 15. E. C. Green. 



I will explain to our readers that I gave 

 neighbor Green a whole plant, of course not 

 fully matured. I think it was the large cen- 

 tral corm he boiled as stated. These we do 

 not find very toothsome; but the side tubers 

 cooked with or without the green stalk and 

 stem we think splendid food, and we are 

 having them almost evei-y day. 



THE AMADUMBE, THE DASHEEN OP SOUTH AFRICA. 

 SEE PAGE 740, OCT. 15. 



Mr. A. I. Root: — Whether these amadumbe will 

 prove to be identical with some of the dasheens that 

 you have I shall be interested to learn. Note every 

 one who tastes them for the first time likes them very 

 well; but not only natives, but children of mission- 

 aries and of settlers,^ who are brought up with them, 

 are very fond of them. These are several varieties 

 here that are eaten, and others that are so coarse 

 and watery that they are not considered fit to eat. 

 These are of the variety that we consider the best. 

 W. L. Thompson. M. D. 



Mount Silinda, Melsetter, S. Rhodesia, S. Africa. 



August 30. 



TOMATOES HAVING RIPE ONES IN NOVEMBER. 



My wife and I take and clean or wipe them off 

 (the green tomatoes) before the frost gets them, and 

 then wrap them carefully in tissue paper and lay 

 them in small baskets only two deep, and store awa\ 

 in a dark cool closet, and about Thanksgiving they 

 will ripen, or sometimes later. 



Cleveland, Ohio, Oct. 13. .Joseph Becvar. 



