VEGETABLE COMMITTEE'S REPORT. 83 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON VEGETABLES, 



For the Year 1858. 

 BY DANIEL T. CUKTIS, CHAIRMAN. 



The Committee on Vegetables, on presenting their annual report, are 

 somewhat disappointed by the falling off in contributors in this department; 

 all of the appropriation has not been expended, and a balance of sixty-two 

 dollars will be left in the hands of the Treasurer. This, however, should 

 not lead to the supposition that the vegetable department has not received 

 proper and the usual attention. Among the causes which have contributed 

 to this state of things are, the change from weekly to monthly exhibitions, 

 and the cold and frequent rains during the early part of the season, which 

 60 delayed their growth that scarcely any vegetable was sufficiently ma- 

 tured and in condition to be exhibited at the time appointed ; to the latter 

 cause was chiefly due the deficiency in the vegetable department of the 

 exhibitions. We doubt not, that, if the next season be more favorable, the 

 usual excellency of this department will be equalled, if not excelled. 



We mentioned, in last year's report, that specimens of the Chinese Yam 

 had been well grown by Milton Andros, Esq. of Taunton. The past season 

 he has pursued his experiments more accurately, in order to determine more 

 particularly its productiveness and mode of culture, and its value as a root 

 crop in Massachusetts or the United States. This year the specimens — as 

 many witnessed during the exhibition in October — were remarkably clean 

 and straight tubers, from two to three feet in length, the weight of five 

 pounds being often attained by a small tuber. By what has been shown, 

 we cannot think we err in judging, that, from its quality as a vegetable, 

 and its productiveness, it will ere long be found in our markets, and classed 

 with the potato in value. 



For the benefit of those who may wish to become more familiar with the 

 subject, we give the details of its cultivation by Mr. Andros, and extracts 

 from the London Gardeners' Chronicle, and comparative analyses showing 

 its relative value : — 



Boston, January 14th, 1859. 



Dear Sir, — I inclose to you some observations upon the culture of the 

 Dioscorea batatas, or Chinese yam, and regret that I cannot give more in- 

 formation upon the subject — my experiments thus far having been almost 

 entirely confined to the discovery of the soil best adapted to their 

 cultivation. 



Upon the question of soil, the result of my experiments has been that 

 a moderately rich and light top soil, with a deep sandy subsoil, is, of all 

 others, the best adapted to their successful cultivation. The strong feeding 

 roots of the plant do not extend above six inches below the surface, striking 

 off horizontally from the neck of the tuber, so that the soil from which the 

 plant derives its sustenance need not be of a much greater depth ; but, as 

 the tuber at this point begins to expand and strikes perpendicularly iato 



