chap, v.] YAMS. — WEEDS. — PINE TREES. 103 



of its continued failure, the Chenopodium quinoa, -which has, 

 I believe, been successfully grown in Madeira by one or two 

 persons, might, from its hardy and nutritive qualities, become 

 a useful substitute. 



YAMS. 



The yam of the West Indies and the coast of Africa is 

 unknown in Madeira. The plant the natives call inhame the 

 English have corrupted into yam, from the similarity of 

 pronunciation. The inhame is a species of arum {Arum colo- 

 casia). There are two kinds in Madeira, the white and the 

 red, the latter requiring more water than the former ; to 

 plant it, a trench is cut near some spring and filled with 

 branches of broom, which are covered with earth : in this the 

 root is placed and left to shoot downwards through the 

 branches. It is a wretched vegetable, and pigs are the only 

 animals that will eat the leaf. 



WEEDS. 



In Madeira the very weeds of the soil realize a profit ; 

 these are worth five pence a bundle in the market- as horse 

 fodder; they luxuriate everywhere undisturbed amongst 

 the choicest plants : the vines alone, and those in fruiting 

 months only, are freed from such noxious companionship. 



PINE TREES. 



The pine has been brought into extensive cultivation on 

 the hills; it flourishes on the red tufa, where nothing else will 

 grow. The pines are sown thickly, and at the end of five 

 years they are ready for their first thinning ; the process is 

 commonly repeated each succeeding year for seventeen years. 

 The leaves are used as bedding for cattle, and the cones 



