154 TROPICAL AGRICULTURE 



tralia and the Pacific Islands. It is a perennial herb belonging 

 to the family Scitamineae and bears large broad leaves with 

 a pronounced bronze sheen. The plant stands about 3 to 6 

 feet high and develops 5 to 10 purplish tubers at the base. 

 These tubers are cooked and eaten like taro or are used in 

 the production of the "Queensland arrowroot" of the trade. 

 The starch grains in this product are larger and more easily 

 soluble in water than those of the true arrowroot and the 

 material is especially recommended for children and invalids. 

 Queensland arrowroot is propagated by crown divisions and 

 the planting distance is 2 to 4 feet. The crop matures within 

 6 to 10 months after planting. In Porto Rico an average yield 

 is about 15 tons of roots per acre. In experiments in Queens- 

 land it has been found that about 9 tons of roots yield I ton 

 of prepared arrowroot. In India it appears that the Queens- 

 land arrowroot prefers a more sandy soil than the true arrow- 

 root. In that country the Queensland arrowroot is planted 

 in rows 6 or 7 feet apart and 4 or 5 feet apart in the row. It 

 has been found that roots may live in the ground for two sea- 

 sons, if desired, without suffering loss. A yield of 12 to 40 

 tons of roots per acre has been obtained in India. 



UDO 



In recent years some interest has been awakened in a native 

 Chinese plant known as udo (Aralia cordata}. This plant has 

 long been widely cultivated in Japan and elsewhere in the 

 Orient. It has been introduced into California and the South- 

 ern States. Udo is a shrubby perennial suitable for orna- 

 mental purposes on account of its leaves. The plant reaches 

 a height of 10 feet, with inconspicuous flowers in spherical um- 

 bels like those of our common sarsaparilla or ginseng. The 

 root stalks are large and fleshy. Udo is propagated by seeds 

 or cuttings and the planting distance is 4 by 4 feet. The young 

 shoots are blanched by various shading devices. Shoots which 



