COMMONPLACE NOTES. 



1091 



whole to cool. Break the eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. 

 Beat the yolks until light, add sugar, juice of lemon, the grated rind, and 

 the Yam. Whisk the whites to a stiff froth and stir lightly in before 

 baking. Put into a well-buttered dish and bake in a brisk oven for twenty 

 minutes. 



Yams en Brim. — Cut up one pound of Yam already boiled and fry a 

 light brown, sprinkle thickly with chopped Parsley and Shallot or Mush- 

 room, pepper, salt, and lime juice, and serve very hot. 



The variety of Y'am with which we made the above experiments was 

 called the ' Lisbon Yam,' and came direct through Messrs. Pink from 

 Barbados. It is of reasonable size, and is considered about the best for 

 use in this country. The wholesale price is 15s. a barrel of about 120 lb., 

 and the usual retail price is 2d. or 2\d. a lb. The " roots " are, in appear- 

 ance, something like very fat Parsnips, with an external skin like that of 

 a Potato. 



The Sweet Potato, or Barbados Potato, as it is sometimes called 

 (Ipomcea Batatas), belongs to the Convolvulus family, and is propagated 

 from slips, cuttings, or pieces of the root, and in its leaves and purple 

 flowers generally resembles our Convolvulus. They are said to have come 

 originally from the East Indies, but are now cultivated extensively in 

 all tropical and sub- tropical countries, but they will not bear an English 

 winter. They thrive particularly well in all the West Indian colonies ; 

 but in the drier and well- drained islands, like Barbados, which has a 

 porous coral soil, they are of a better quality than those grown in the 

 heavy clay soils of British Guiana and Trinidad. In fact, so superior are 

 the Potatos grown in Barbados to those grown in British Guiana and 

 Trinidad that there is a considerable trade between the latter colonies 

 and Barbados, amounting in 1900 to nearly £8,000. 



They are rather difficult to keep after they are dug, and require to be 

 stored in dry sand at a cool temperature. They are in season in this 

 country from the end of September to the end of February, and are 

 about the same price as Yearns. They contain 32 per cent, of solid 

 material, of which 16 parts are starch and 10 parts sugar. One must be 

 prepared, therefore, for their being somewhat sweet ; in fact, they remind 

 one very closely of boiled or roasted Chestnuts, though they are a trifle 

 sweeter, and have just a suspicion of a mixed flavour of rose and violet. 

 They are highly nutritious, and form the staple food of the majority of 

 the inhabitants of the West Indian Islands. 



Here are some receipts for cooking them : — 



Boiled. — Boil the Potatos in water with their jackets on, peel, and 

 cut into slices before serving. 



[Very good indeed. Like huge Chestnuts. — Ed.] 



Boasted. — Lay them before the grates of the stove or in the oven, 

 turning them occasionally until cooked. Scrape off the outer skin and 

 cut into pieces or crush with butter and serve hot. 



[Very floury and like sweet Chestnuts. — Ed.] 



Broiled. — Potatos to be half boiled, the skin removed, and put into 

 the oven, or before the fire, until done. They ought to be of a nice brown 

 colour. Cut into pieces, serve hot. 



Bechauffe of Cold Potatos. — Mash the Potatos until perfectly free 



