APRIL. 



175 



nation of such an error. The climate of the north of China, 

 where the yam is supposed to be a native, is far from being 

 tropical, as it is well known many of the Chinese trees, 

 shrubs and plants are perfectly hardy in our latitude of 42°, 

 The Chinese yam has already proved perfectly hardy in 

 Paris. 



There are some individuals v/ho look upon the introduc- 

 tion of every new vegetable, fruit or plant, as a humbug, and 

 denounce them in advance of any knowledge of their merits. 

 We can well say to such carpers, as John Lowell said thirty 

 years ago, in reference to the introduction of new plants or 

 seeds, " Many may prove not to be adapted to our soil and 

 climate — but this furnishes no reason for neglecting them. 

 If one in a thousand should prove useful who can calculate 

 its future value ? If Sir Walter Raleigh, or whosoever else 

 was the introducer of the potatoe into Europe, had contented 

 himself with saying, ' This plant is very good in its native 

 regions but cannot flourish in Europe,' what would not the 

 world have lost ? " Let, therefore, the Dioscorea be fairly 

 tried ; for if we may believe the French savans, its introduc- 

 tion is destined to create as important an era in the history 

 of agriculture as the introduction of the potato did three 

 centuries ago. 



We have not room to go into all the details of the history 

 of the Chinese yam, its introduction to France, the opinions 

 of French writers in regard to its value, &c., but with a 

 brief review of these, must confine ourselves to an account 

 of the experiments upon its growth, that being the most 

 interesting to all who intend to try its cultivation in our cli- 

 mate. Our own experiments have been confined to the last 

 season ; but they were satisfactory, and the present year we 

 hope to extend them farther and test the value of this new 

 esculent. 



The existence of one or more species of yams in the garden 

 of the Chinese has long been known, and the London Hor- 

 ticultural Society have among the valuable drawings of Chi- 

 nese plants in its library, one of a "dark ragged root ten 

 inches long and six inches wide at the broadest end, of which 



