in Extra-Tropical Countries. 361 



(Blume), S. album (Dour.), which all bear large berries, considered 

 harmless; but all may not represent well-marked species. Absolute 

 ripeness of all such kinds of fruit is an unavoidable requisite, as other- 

 wise even wholesome sorts may prove acrid or even poisonous. Pro- 

 bably many other of the exceedingly numerous species of the genus 

 Solanum may offer yet good-sized edible berries. Seeds keep 7 years. 



Solarium muricatum, L'Heritier. 



The Pepino of Peru. A shrubby species, yielding egg-shaped edible 

 berries, which are white with purple spots, and attain a length of 

 6 inches. 



Solanum oxycarpum, Schiede. 



Central Mexico. A species with very small tubers only in its wild 

 state, which culture may however further develop. 



Solanum Quitoense, Lamarck. 



Ecuador, Peru. A shrubby plant. The berries resemble small 

 oranges in size, color and even somewhat in taste, and are of .a peculiar 

 fragrance. To this S. Plumierii (Dunal) from the West-Indian Islands 

 is also cognate, as well as S. Topiro (Kunth) from the Orinoco- 

 region. 



Solanum torvum, Swartz. 



From the West-Indies to Peru. A shrubby species with yellow 

 spherical berries of good size, which seem also wholesome. Other 

 species from tropical America have shown themselves sufficiently 

 hardy, to induce us to recommend the test-culture of such kinds of 

 plants. Many of them are highly curious and ornamental. S. sisym- 

 brifolium (Lamarck) of South- America, where it becomes extra- 

 tropical, also yields edible berries. 



Solanum tuberosum, Linn.* 



The Potato. Andes of South America, particularly of Chili and 

 Peru, but not absolutely trans-equatorial, as it extends into Bolivia, 

 Ecuador and Columbia. It is also wild in the Argentine territory, 

 and extends northward into the United States and Mexico, in its 

 variety boreale (S. Fendleri, Gray). In Norway it can be grown as 

 far north as 71 7' (Schuebeler). From some varieties of potatoes 

 three crops may be obtained within a year in regions free from frost. 

 In rich coast-lands of Victoria as much as 14 tons of potatoes have 

 been taken from an acre in a single harvest. As a starch-plant, the 

 potato interests us on this occasion particularly. Considering its 

 prolific yield in rich soil, we possess as yet too few factories for 

 potato-starch. The average yield is 10 per cent. Great Britain im- 

 ported in 1884 about 14,000 tons of dry yeast, for the manufacture of 

 which potato-starch is largely used, at a value of 777,000. The 

 starch, by being heated with mineral acids or malt, can be converted 

 into dextrin and dextro-glucose for many purposes of the arts. 

 Dextrin, as a substitute for gum, is also obtainable by subjecting 



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