PURE AND IMPURE FOODS. 



" What a Man Eats He Is." 

 Edited by C. F. Langworthy, Ph. D. 

 Author of "On Citraconic, Itaconic and Mesaconic Acids," "Fish as Food," etc. 



LILY BULBS EATEN BY CHINESE. 



Thoupfh we are accustomed to consider 

 lilies as plants for ornamental value only, 

 the bulbs and flowers of several species 

 have long been used as articles of food by 

 the Chinese and other orientals. Of these, 

 Lilium glehni forms the chief vegetable 

 diet of the Ainu, an aboriginal tribe now 

 confined to the islands of Hokaido, but 

 Lilium tigrinum and Lilium concolor pul- 

 c helium are the 2 species most commonly 

 cultivated by the Chinese as articles of 

 food. A recent investigator found the 

 bulbs of Lilium parrum in use by the 

 Washoe Indians of Nevada, and those of 

 Lilium pardalinum in use by Indians of 

 Northern California. 



From the early part of December to the 

 latter part of August, according to a re- 

 cent report made by Blasdale to the De- 

 partment of Agriculture, there are found 

 in the Chinese markets of San Francisco 

 the bulbs of a species of Lilium which 

 greatly resemble those of the well known 

 Lilium auratum. These are sold at 10 to 

 20 cents a pound. They are all imported 

 from Canton. The bulbs have proved iden- 

 tical with the ones sold by nurserymen un- 

 der the name of Lilium brownii. This is 

 apparently the only species sold by the 

 Chinese merchants, as a large number of 

 bulbs purchased at different times and 

 from different dealers have invariably 

 yielded plants corresponding to this spe- 

 cies. Unfortunately the bulbs are often in- 

 fested with mites, which, either primarily 

 or secondarily, cause the death of the plant 

 before it perfects its flowers. From a col- 

 lection of over 100 bulbs only 10 perfect 

 flowers were secured. 



What seems to be the same species may 

 also be obtained in a dry form throughout 

 the year, and both this and the fresh bulbs 

 are known under the name of "pak hop." 



The dried bulbs, as shown by analyses, 

 contain some 10 per cent, water, 5.6 per 

 cent, protein, 63 per cent, starch, and small 

 quantities of ash, etc. The fresh bulbs 

 purchased in San Francisco contained 

 much more water, and > correspondingly 

 smaller quantities of nutrients. 



The Chinese regard lily bulbs more as a 

 delicacy than as a standard article of diet, 

 and the customary price is considerably 

 above that of other vegetables in common 

 use by them. It is said that they are re- 

 garded by the Japanese as an especially 

 desirable food for invalids and convales- 

 cents. When used for this purpose the 



bulbs are only slightly cooked and are 

 eaten with sugar. The bulbs sold in San 

 Francisco, as far as was observed, were 

 nearly devoid of the bitter principle which 

 is reported to occur in several species of 

 Lilium. When simply boiled, they formed 

 a palatable food, and Blasdale believes 

 that Americans would soon become ac- 

 customed to their use. The cultural 

 conditions favorable to the production 

 of Lilium brownii or of some of the 

 other edible species are not difficult to find 

 in our own country, though it is doubtful 

 whether they can be grown as cheaply as 

 our other commonly cultivated vegetables. 

 One valuable feature of the bulbs is the 

 ease with which they may be dried, the 

 resulting product being quite as acceptable 

 as the fresh bulbs. The value of lilies as 

 ornamental plants under present conditions 

 will doubtless prevent their extended use 

 as food in this country. 



Another unusual vegetable substance 

 largely used as a flavoring ingredient by 

 the Chinese consists of the dried flowers of 

 Hemerocallis fulva, the day lily of our 

 American gardens. This substance is 

 known as. "kam cham t'soi," or the "gold- 

 needle vegetable." The flowers of Lilium 

 bulbiferum and Hemerocallis graminea are 

 also used as food by the Chinese. The 

 dried flower petals contain some 10 per 

 cent, protein and some 56 per cent, carbo- 

 hydrates. When judged by their composi- 

 tion, they are seen to possess a fairly high 

 food value. They are used, however, rath- 

 er as a condiment than as an article of diet. 



THE BLUEBERRY INDUSTRY. 



Although from the earliest Colonial 

 times the blueberry has been highly prized 

 as an article of food, little attention has 

 been given to the systematic exploitation 

 of this fruit. In many regions of the 

 Northern and Eastern United States, par- 

 ticularly in New England, New York, 

 Michigan and the mountains of Pennsylva- 

 nia and West Virginia, there are thousands 

 of acres of land which are worthless for 

 ordinary agricultural purposes. After the 

 pine is removed from such lands, an abun- 

 dant growth of blueberry bushes, alders, 

 poplars, grey birches and spireas springs 

 up. It is believed that by proper manage- 

 ment of these natural blueberry fields large 

 areas may be made to yield a handsome 

 profit to their owners, and furnish employ- 

 ment to a large number of people. 



At the present time these lands, for the 

 most part, are considered public property, 



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