AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 3T9 



to the best potato crop of Europe. Messrs. Decaisne and Mons. 

 Louis Vilmorin have published instructions for raising them. 

 Mr. Vilmorin says that fifteen thousand pounds can be raised per 

 acre. Mons. Decaisne believes in over twenty thousand pounds. 

 At Versailles, on the same spot of ground where Parmentier 

 planted the first seeds of this precious tuber, which seems likely 

 to become of indispensable utility to our subsistence, and for which 

 the learned chemist claimed the protection of a monarch. 



Mons. Remont, who is not only a horticulturist and distin- 

 guished nurseryman, but a very distinguished and learned agricul- 

 turist, has with the greatest praiseworthy perseverance met with 

 great success in the propagation of the Chinese yam, Tgname, &c. 

 Besides the fruits at Versailles, Mr. Remont has established a large 

 building with vast glasses for sheltering plants, and has many in- 

 telligent and industrious men employed to bring forward plants; 

 and out of doors we behold some seven or eight acres of the Chi- 

 nese yam flourishing. The soil of this field is far from being 

 fertile — it is an argillaceous silicious very oxydated soil, very sensi- 

 ble of variations of temperature. It seems to suit the Dioscorea 

 batata. This tuber does not like fresh dung. Stubble manure is 

 recommended for it by the Chinese agricultural books. There are 

 about three millions of the plants in this field. 



Mr. Remont has ten millions of bulbilles of the Igname — each 

 one of which will yield from thirty to forty cuttings the first year 

 of their planting — thus prepared to produce from three hundred 

 millions to four hundred millions of plants. In twenty years it 

 may become a national crop. 



Another fact is that this Chinese yam is eminently hardy — 

 plants grown from almost imperceptible pieces of the tuber suf- 

 fer no alteration from frost or any hard weather. It will take a 

 place among our national crops as extensively as the potato, and 

 it has one advantage over that tuber, in this, that in August when 

 its stalks or vines are from six to nine feet high, whether we let 

 them creep on the ground or tie them to poles, furnish food for 

 horses and cows, who find it very dainty feed. It is said to be 

 an exhausting crop, but it pays for it by its abundance. The 

 digging them up is easy when they are planted on ridges ! And 

 one good effect of this crop is that we shall be compelled to do 

 what we ought to do, turn up the soil deep. It is the great crop 

 of China. Here it must take place by the side of the potato be- 

 cause of its hardihood, powerful nutrition, yield and easy preser- 

 vation. 



