68 



PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE 



FIG. 46. Ubi vine on a fence 



Yams. Yam s are plants of the genus Dioscorea. They 

 are vines, with roots somewhat like sweet potatoes. The' 



most important is the 

 Chinese yam, Dioscorea 

 Batatas, which is culti- 

 vated in most temperate 

 countries; it is bitter 

 when fresh, but becomes 

 sweet when soaked. 

 The two most impor- 

 tant Philippine yams are 

 ubi and tugui. "Name" 

 is a less common one, 

 which is quite poisonous when fresh. Paquit is a yam 

 with especially large and deep roots ; it is a staple food 

 of the Negritos in Bataan. 



Taro. Next to the sweet potato, taro is the most im- 

 portant root crop of the Philippines. This is the plant 

 called Colocasia autiquorum in Latin, and known as gabi 

 in the Philippines. Strictly speaking, it is not a root. 

 It is probably a native of this part of the world, but its 

 cultivation in other tropical countries is very ancient. 

 Gabi can be cooked in fully as many ways as potatoes 

 can, and is a very nutritious food ; the young leaves make 

 delicious greens. A much larger plant in the same fam- 

 ily, called bading, is cultivated in the Bisayas and some 

 other parts of the Islands. Next to rice, gabi demands 

 more water than any other Philippine crop. It thrives 

 on rather heavy soil. It is propagated by putting old 



