Edible Products. 



232 



[September, 1909. 



in growth than in a healthy plant. 

 These thickened stems are found to be 

 hollow and rotten. No tubers are en- 

 abled to attain their full development, 

 and they are seen to be pierced with 

 holes, traversed through and through 

 with brown tuunellings, and more or 

 less completely destroyed. The only cer- 

 tain remedy is that already given, viz., 

 complete destruction of the whole crop, 

 and other crops planted instead. 



Mr. S. C. Voller, however, says that 

 he found sulphur to be a perfect 

 remedy. He dusted dry sulphur into 

 the crowns or butts of the plants when 

 they began to run, by which means he 

 completely defeated the , weevil. A 

 second application might be necessary 

 later on in the season. 



Poisonous Property op the Vines. 



Recurring again to the already men- 

 tioned poisonous properties of the sweet 

 potato vine, in 1905 several farmers re- 

 ported serious losses amongst their pigs. 

 In all the cases, the animals had been 

 given sweet potato vines as a portion of 

 their rations. The matter was referred 

 to the Government Analyst, who sug- 

 gested the possibility of a poisonous 

 glucoside in the vines being the cause 

 of the mortality. . 



The importance of a closer examina- 

 tion becoming apparent, samples of 

 three different varieties of the sweet 

 potato vine were obtained from the farm 

 of the Agricultural College at Gatton. 

 The analyses of these samples, carried 

 out at the laboratory of the Agricul- 

 tural Department, proved conclusively 

 the presence of a glucoside, which, on 

 standing for a short time, yields hydro- 

 cyanic acid (prussic acid), similar to the 

 poisonous principle found in cassava 

 roots and in the stalks of immature 

 green sorglmm. 



The following is the result of the 

 analyses :— 



Hydrocyanic 

 Acid. 

 Percentage 

 of Green 

 Manure. 



I. White Maltese — 

 Moisture, 87'4 per cent.; or -973 



grains per ib. of green substance '0139 



II. Rosella— 



Moisture, 86'9 per cent.; or 1-113 

 grains per lb, of green substance •('159 

 III. Spanish Giant — 



Moisture, 87 Oper cent;; or 1-323 

 grains per lb. of green substance '0187 



These analyses show that the vines 

 yield as much as 1 gr. of prussic acid per 

 lb. of the green feed, which quantity 

 accounts easily for the sudden death 

 of animals feeding on larger quantities 



of such food, Boiling the vines, and 

 taking care to pour off the first water 

 in which they were boiled, would consi- 

 derably lessen the danger. 



Food Value op Sweet Potatoes. 



The food value of the sweet potato 

 will be seen from the following com- 

 parative analysis : — 



100 lb. of sweet potatoes contain— 



Per cent, 



Water ... ... 69-32 to 73-11 



Ash ... ... 1-09 „ 1.29 



Protein (i.e, flesh-form- 

 ing) material... ... 1-38 „ 2'47 



0- 



1-23 



Fibre 



Nitrogen free extract 



(starch, sugar, gum, &c.)... 29'73 „ 28-46 

 Fat ... ... 043 ,, 0-85 



a total of 27 46 to 32'49 of dry matter. 



As a comparison, it may be said that 

 100 lb. maize contain 89'1 dry matter, 

 10'5 of protein, and 75 lb. nitrogen free 

 extract ; while 300 lb. sweet potatoes 

 contain 86 7 lb. dry matter, 4-5 lb. 

 protein, and 75-3 lb. nitrogen extract. 



Manure for Sweet Potatoes. 

 Where the soil on which sweet pota- 

 toes are to be grown requires manure, 

 the following mixture will be found to 

 be very effcacious after applying stable 

 manure or ploughing under a green 

 crop: 



90 lb. sulphite of potash 

 90 ,, high-gr ade super- 

 phosphate 

 90 lb. Chili saltpetre 

 or, instead of 90 lb. high-grade super- 

 phosphate, use 225 lb. superphosphate 16 

 per cent. Mix well. 



bash "\ 

 ter- \ 



per acre. 



PINE APPLE INDUSTRY IN INDIA. 



(From the Agricultural Journal of India, 

 Vol. IV., Pt. II., April, 1909.) 

 In recent years, the demand for 

 Indian-grown pine apples has so greatly 

 increased that an effort should be made 

 to establish this industry on a commer- 

 cial scale. 



The pine apple is grown extensively 

 in many parts of India and Burma. 



On the Malabar Coast, in Northern 

 Bengal, in Assam and in Burma, the 

 pine apple produces fruit of very good 

 quality. 



On the Khasi Hills in Assam, it grows 

 excellently and yields a fine fruit. 



There has been no particular effort 

 made to develop the cultivation of the 

 fruit on a commercial basis. Therefore, 

 pine apples from the Straits Settlements, 

 Ceylon and Mauritius, find a ready sale 

 in India at remunerative prices. 



