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and there are almost as many degrees of quality. One of the 
varieties brought by Mr. Barrett from Trinidad, by way of the 
Porto Rico Experiment Station, in 1905, has proved to be the best 
one in all the large collection that was afterward assembled. 
It is being disseminated by the Department of Agriculture under 
the name of the Trinidad dasheen. The dasheen is not believed 
to be indigenous to Trinidad nor, in fact, to the Western Hemi- 
sphere. Inthe opinion of botanists the evidence seems to indicate 
that the dasheen as well as other members of the genus Colocasia 
originated in the Old World, possibly in the Polynesian Islands. 
There is no doubt that numerous varieties were brought to 
the New World from China, by Chinese coolies and others. 
However, since none of those secured from China and elsewhere 
more recently, by the United States Department of econ 
possess all the characters of the Trinidad variety mentioned, 
seems at least possible that it has undergone some m retire 
since its introduction from China. Indeed, there are reasons for 
believing that changes for the better have taken place even since 
ee was brought to this country. 
Trinidad dasheen, as at present grown in the south, com- 
prises several strains, which, while se identical in aa 
, differ materially in quality. Unfortunately t iffer- 
ences are not apparent until the dasheen is eee sO ne one 
can never determine the quality beforehand. It is hoped, how- 
ever, that by selection, strains of uniform quality can be de- 
veloped. Work to this end is already under way 
The tuberous growth in a hill of dasheens consists of one or 
two nearly spherical corms, weighing, on an average, one and a 
half to two pounds each, around which are clustered from fifteen 
to fifty cormels, called ‘‘tubers” in common usage. The tubers 
vary greatly ape and size. In weight they range from one 
ounce or ree to ae ounces. The corms in rare instances have 
attained a weight of nearly five pounds. Both corms and tubers 
are edible and of practically equal quality. 
In flavor, the best dasheens are much like a firm, fine-grained 
potato, with an added flavor of chestnuts. They are drier an 
consequently need more butter than potatoes, when served baked 
