FOR VICTORIAN INDUSTRIAL CULTURE. 



109 



land regions. Tlie plant is frequently sold fresh by the 

 grower to the factories. The Indigo-plant requires a rich 

 friable soil, neither too moist nor too dry. The seeds are 

 sown in furrows abovit a foot apart, and in hot damp climes 

 the plant can already be cut in about two months, as soon as 

 it begins to flower; in six or eight weeks it yields a second 

 crop, and under favourable circumstances as many as four 

 crops can be gathered in a year. The plants have to be re- 

 newed every year as the old ones do not yield such an 

 abundant produce. Bright sunshine favours the development 

 of the dye-principle, but frequent rains cause a more luxu- 

 riant growth (Hartwig). 



Inula Helenium, Linn^. 



The Elecampane. Middle and South Europe, Middle Asia 

 eastward to Japan. A perennial herb. The bitter and 

 somewhat aromatic root, for the sake of its stimulating and 

 tonic properties, is used in medicine. It contains also the 

 amylaceous Inulin and the crystalline Helenin. 



Ipomoea Batatas, Poiret.* {Batatas edulis, Choisy). 



The Sweet Potato. Tropical South America. First brought 

 to Europe from Brazil. It proved well adapted also for our 

 part of Australia and for New Zealand. The tubers afford 

 a palatable food, more nutritious than ordinary potatoes. 

 Varieties with red, white and yellow roots occur. Each 

 tuber weighs generally from 31bs. to 51bs., but may occa- 

 sionally attain to 561bs. The yield is from 200 to 300 bushels 

 from an acre. 



Ipomaea Batatilla, Gr. Don. 



Cooler regions of Venezuela. The tubers serve as sweet 

 potatoes. Similarly useful I. plantanifolia, Poem, et Schult., 

 from Central America, and I. mammosa, Choisy, from 

 Amboina. 



Ipomoea paniculata, P. Brown. 



Almost a cosmopolitan plant on tropical coasts; thus indi- 

 genous to North Australia and the warmer parts of East 

 Australia. The tubers also of this species are edible. If 

 hardy, the plant would deserve cultivation. 



Ipomoea purga, Wenderoth. 



Mountains of Mexico. The true J alap. This species yields 

 the medicinal Jalap root. It has recently been cultivated 

 with apparent success even at New York. Thus it is entitled 

 to a trial in our warm woodlands. Active principle: the 

 resinous Convolvulin. I. Orizal)ensis, Ledanois, yields also 

 Jalap, according to Hanbury. 



