AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES. 65 



siderable quantities in bushy or wooded regions, and on mountains; 

 forms a tuber more spherical than pear-shaped, which is mealy 

 when boiled and is good for food. 



5. Kudzu {Pueraria Thiinbergiana, Benth. ; PachyrJiizus Thiin- 

 bergianuSy S. and Z.). This plant is of frequent occurrence, es- 

 pecially on the edges of forests and among bushes, through which 

 its long tendrils twine. Its thick roots furnish a starch meal, which 

 is used for food. 



6. The batata, or sweet-potato, Jap. : Satsuma-imo or Riukiu- 

 imo {Batatas edulis, Choisy ; Convolvulus Batatas^ L. ; C. edulis, 

 Thunb.). The cultivation of this important vegetable has spread 

 over the greater part of the tropical and sub-tropical regions of 

 the earth. In Europe and North America its territory adjoins that 

 of our common potato on the south, for example in Andalusia 

 and the Gulf States, whose long-continued high temperature in 

 summer is quite sufficient for it. As to its origin, opinions still 

 differ, but there are strong arguments in favour of South America. 

 It was undoubtedly not brought to the eastern monsoon-region till 

 after the discovery of the New World, a fact that is proved not 

 only by the names here applied to it, but also by historical dates. 

 In the Malaccas it is called batata, as in Portugal, though on the 

 Philippines it is named Castillian. 



About the year 1,610 the cultivation of the batata reached China 

 from Luzon ; from here the Riukiu Islands,^ where it is called 

 Kara-imo (Chinese potato) and is the principal food of the inhabit- 

 ants. They took up with it at once, and have cultivated it ever 

 since. They were proud of possessing a precious vegetable that 

 was unknown to their northern neighbours. In 1698 their king 

 presented the Daimio of Satsuma with a basketful of batatas, 

 which the latter planted on Tanega-shima. From this point their 

 cultivation spread over the whole lordship of Satsuma, and then 

 further over all the warm parts of Southern and Middle Japan. 

 Thus it has come to pass that the batata is called Riukiu-imo in 

 Satsuma, and Satsuma-imo in all the rest of the kingdom of 

 Nippon. Only a hundred years ago, however, the cultivation of 

 this vegetable, even in southern parts of the country, was so 

 limited that its bulbs seemed rare dainties to children, Their 

 sweetish fiavour reminds one of edible chestnuts. They contain 

 only 16 per cent, of starch. The credit for its propagation belongs 

 chiefly to a certain Aoki Kongo, to whom the batata-dealers of 

 Tokio, about fifteen years ago, erected a monument in the neigh- 

 bouring Meguro. 



The smaller bulbs of the Satsuma-imo, which are used in Japan 

 for propagation, are planted, in spring, in loose, well-manured ground. 

 They are arranged in rows and at intervals of from 50 to 60 cm. 

 During the first two months, their young sprouts are watered several 



^ I am chiefly indebted for the remarks here following to my old friend, Ito 

 Keiske, of Tokio. 



II. F 



