December, 1911 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



£11 



country where there are wet lands. About 

 40,000 acres of such land is now entirely 

 abandoned in the South Atlantic States 

 and between 25,000 and 50,000 acres are 

 semi-abandoned, i. e. cultivated once in 

 four years. 



The composition of dasheens is inter- 

 mediate between the sweet potato and 

 the common white potato. They produce 

 25 per cent, starch and flour for puddings, 

 cakes and muffins, that can be made at 

 a cost of not over two cents a pound. 

 And while no particular attention has 

 been given to their culture in this country, 

 yet in the Orient, West Indies and South 

 Pacific Islands they are the staple food 

 product of the people. 



The experiments conducted at Gough, 

 S. C, produced 400 bushels per acre 

 and a Japanese variety produced over 

 450 bushels per acre. These yields are 

 more than our common potato except 

 where grown under unususal conditions. 

 In the trucking regions near Charleston, 

 S. C, Norfolk, Va., and the best potato 

 sections of Maine, about 250 bushels is 

 the average. 



In New York the yield is less, while 

 in the best districts of Colorado and Cali- 

 fornia it is about 400 bushels. Sweet 

 potatoes in the most productive regions 

 yield from 300 to 400 bushels per acre. 



In general dasheens are prepared and 

 eaten in the different ways in which the 

 white potatoes are. They are baked, 

 boiled, fried, mashed, creamed, candied 

 and stuffed. The same recipes employed 

 in preparing white or sweet potatoes may 

 be utilized for dasheens. 



A number of people who have cooked 

 them at home claim that the characteris- 

 tic flavor of boiled chestnuts and greater 

 richness makes them more palatable than 

 potatoes. 



STACHYS 



CHINESE ARTICHOKE 



This is an excellent root plant. The 

 tubers grow in clusters very much as pea- 

 nuts do. They are white, crisp, with 

 a peculiar refreshing juiciness and very 

 palatable. Eaten raw for a luncheon on 

 a hot day they impart a coolness that is 

 both appetizing and satisfying. 



A limited quantity is sometimes found 

 in the Eastern markets of the United 

 States that have been imported from 

 France. There is no excuse for this as 

 the plant grows with little attention and 

 can be cultivated in most every portion 



Seakale ready for use. The stalks are forced in 

 late winter and served like asparagus 



The Japanese udo is considerably larger than 

 asparagus, for which it may be a substitute 



of the country where potatoes can be 

 raised. They would make many friends 

 if more generally grown. As a novelty 

 they are attractive but they are also nutri- 

 tious. 



CHINESE CABBAGE 



Of all the vegetables grown by the 

 Chinese, their cabbages are the best. The 

 feature in which they excel as compared 

 with the cabbage grown in this country, 

 is ready growth. They get to market 

 early because they grow rapidly. They 

 are unusually attractive in appearance, 

 excellent in flavor, easy to digest, and free 

 from offensive odor in cooking. They 

 are splendid in soup, or stewed whole 

 like cauliflower, but should not be cooked 



Roselie, a new JeUy plant for the South, the ana- 

 logue of the cranberry in the North 



as much as our common cabbage. If 

 too well cooked they become unduly soft, 

 whereas, if cooked a little underdone 

 they will retain their form intact. As 

 a salad or slaw they have none of the 

 pungent taste characteristic to our common 

 cabbage. Germans who reside in China 

 have converted them into kraut and do 

 not hesitate to pronounce it equal to any 

 made in their native country. 



Experiments show the Chinese variety 

 to be adapted to all sections of the United 

 States having a climate similar to China. 

 Warm days and cool nights are especially 

 favorable to their production. 



Their harvest in China is during the 

 month of November. There they wait 

 until a heavy frost has passed over them 

 when they are pulled out of the ground 

 and allowed to he in the field for a day 

 or two. When the dirt has been shaken 

 from the roots and the loose leaves have 

 been removed they are ready to be packed 

 away for winter. If the cave or root cellar 

 is dry and cool they will keep until spring 

 is well advanced. 



JAPANESE RADISHES 



In the United Stated radishes are 

 considered only as an early summer vege- 

 table. In Europe they are regarded also 

 as a fall or early winter food. Then too, 

 in European countries, radishes are cooked 

 like turnips. This is especially true in 

 Germany. The Japanese radish is not 

 new in the United States, but it is not 

 generally grown. When cooked it does 

 not have the strong taste frequently asso- 

 ciated with turnips. 



Chinese Rose Winter, White Spanish 

 and Strausburg are all of the late fall, 

 firm fleshed, brittle varieties that cook 

 well. The cultivation of any of these 

 could be accomplished anywhere that 

 radishes are now grown and just as easily. 



ROSELLE — JELLY PLANT 



A native of the tropics, this plant is 

 naturally sensitive to frost. This, together. 



