June, 1900.] 



"33 



Edible Products- 



days consecutively until they are quite 

 dry. This method is quite sufficient for 

 the preservation of the root, and for the 

 removal of all the bitter stuffs, if there 

 are any. Boiling before sun-drying is 

 not practised here, and is, I think, not 

 essential. 



Removal of the skin of the root before 

 cutting it is, in my opiuion s advan- 

 tageous. It must be remembered that 

 the skin consists of an inner and an outer 

 layer. It is enough if at least the outer 

 layer is removed. If it is not done, dry- 

 ing will be more d ifficult, and will re- 

 quire a louger time. Also, there is the 

 danger of the earth that sticks to the 

 outer surface of the root getting mixed 

 up with the cut slices unless special care 

 is taken to wash all roots thoroughly 

 before cutting them. Thorough wash- 

 ing is rather difficult and tedious, and 

 so it is better simply to remove the skin. 

 The extra expenses to be incurred foi 

 this will not be much, and whatever is 

 spent can certainly be realised in the 

 price. 



Tapioca is a cheap and nutritious food 

 which will serve the people well, 

 especially in times of famiue. It has 

 been in Travaucore for the last thirty or 

 forty years, I think. It is very widely 

 cultivated at present, and is the staple 

 food of many thousands of poor people 



LIMA BEANS. 



(From the Agricultural News, Vol. 

 VIII., No. 180, March 20, 1909.) 



The Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus) is 

 cultivated in most of the warmer parts 

 of the earth, and is widely grown in 

 the West Indies. The species is one 

 which shows considerable variation in 

 the beans (seeds) produced, but the 

 various kinds are divided roughly into 

 two classes, the 'red 'and the 'white.' 

 Beans of the latter class somewhat 

 resemble haricot beans, and are fre- 

 quently cooked and eaten as human 

 food. 



In Mauritius, Lima beans are culti- 

 vated on a large scale, and turned into 

 the soil as a green manure. The plant 

 is one which contains a cyanogenetic 

 glucoside, i.e., a chemical compound 

 which, under certain conditions, is 

 capable of yielding prussic acid. These 

 plants are, therefore, dangerous as a 

 stock food and many cases are reported 

 from Mauritius and other countries of 

 animals having been poisoned as the 

 result of eating the green vegetation. 

 Fatal results to stock, too, have not 

 infrequently followed the consumption 

 of raw seed (beans) in Mauritius and 



Java, and cases of poisoning among 

 cattle in Great Britain have been traced 

 to the use of beans of Phaseolus lunatus, 

 imported from the above two countries. 

 The beans on analysis have been shown 

 to contain var ying quantities of prussic 

 acid. 



Beans of Phaseolus lunatus (both red 

 and white) are also imported in large 

 quantities into Great Britain from 

 Burma, the particular variety being 

 known as ' Rangoon ' beans. Although 

 they have been fed to cattle on an 

 extensive scale for some time past, no 

 ill effects have so far followed their use. 

 The beans from Burma contains prussic 

 acid, but in much smaller quantity than 

 those from Mauritius and Java. Burmese 

 beans are also used as human food in 

 many parts of Europe 



Attention is called to the poisonous 

 properties of the beans iu question in a 

 lengthy article appearing in the Journal 

 of the Board of Agriculture of Great 

 Britain (Vol. XIV., p. 722), where the 

 results of analysis of a large number 

 of specimens from different sources are 

 tabulated. 



It has been stated that by cooking the 

 beans the glucoside which yields the 

 prussic acid is removed. This does not 

 appear to be always the case, however, 

 and investigations made at the Impe- 

 rial Institute lead to the conclusion 

 that no change is effected in the 

 quantity of glucoside present even after 

 boiling. The enzyme or ferment which 

 liberates the prussic acid from the 

 glucoside is destroyed, however, and as 

 a result, no poison is formed when the 

 beans are ground and mixed with water. 



In view of the wide interests involved, 

 the authors of the paper mentioned 

 express the opinion that it is desirable 

 that an extended investigation be made, 

 to determine finally the suitability or 

 otherwise of Lima beans as a food 

 material for human beings and live 

 stock. 



THE PRICKLY-PEAR. 

 Its Utilisation. 



By E. Harris, 

 Department of Agriculture- 



(From the Agriculttiral Gazette of Neio 

 South Wales, Vol. XX-, Part 3, 

 March 2, 1909.) 



It is a startling reversal of the popular 

 impression in New South Wales of the 

 prickly pear as a dangerous pest, to learn 

 that in other countries, where somewhat 

 similar conditions as to climate and soil 



