144 



THE SAA-GAA-BAN, OR APIOS TUBEROSA : 



The last gentle forcing asparagus bed I had made that year 

 (1845) for producing asparagus, until it came in naturally, was 

 a kindly made bed of half-decayed leaves, &c, from other hot- 

 bed linings. The necessary soil and roots were placed on it, 

 and a slight protection formed with stakes placed on the sides, 

 with some temporary wood battens across and tied to the stakes 

 on each side, for the purpose of holding up clear from the surface 

 of the bed some evergreen boughs for keeping off the morning 

 frosts, a plan which I find to answer very well for the last 

 gathering of forced asparagus. Some rubbish faggots, made of 

 refuse prunings, had been placed close by for sheltering other 

 hot-bed linings ; I pulled out of those faggots three branches, 

 lopped off the side branches roughly, pointed one end, and thrust 

 them into the asparagus bed for heat stakes. Time passed on, 

 and the asparagus over ; in the first week in May I proposed 

 pricking a quantity of young celery plants on the bed, but 

 looking about I observed strong shoots had burst forth from all 

 the three stakes, and on pulling them up each was well-rooted 

 from the earth's surface to the depth of about 6 inches, and the 

 size of the stakes thus far considerably increased, while the part 

 below the roots remained unincreased. Two of the stakes were 

 Fraxinus excelsior; both happened to be placed the bare end 

 downwards into the bed, while the other, a common laurel, was 

 by chance thrust in top downwards, and was beautifully rooted ; 

 its buds (of course pointing towards the bed) had pushed several 

 strong shoots from 4 to 10 inches in length, and had turned up 

 horizontally from the stake which had been thrust in slantingly. 



From this and other facts of a similar nature, it has appeared 

 to me that abundance of healthy plants may be produced from 

 branches and cuttings if properly selected, and at the right 

 season methodically placed on bottom heat, the latter being 

 maintained only a sufficient time at the proper season ; and, at 

 the same time, the whole of the branches or cuttings left above 

 the surface of the soil should be fully exposed to the open air. 



XXII. — Memoranda respecting the Saa-gaa-ban, or Apios 

 tuberosa, a supposed equivalent for the Potato. By the 

 Vice-Secretary. 



Public attention having been drawn to this plant by persons 

 who anticipate the possibility of its becoming a substitute for 

 the Potato, it is supposed that a few memoranda respecting its 

 history and qualities may be found useful. 



This plant, called Glycine Apios by Linnaeus, Apios tuberosa 

 by modern botanists, and Saa-gaa-ban by some of the North 



