Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1856-03-07

week with care and profit. Allow me for
once to speak on the subject.
/ often ask why Americans should be so
fast to inrsnt good things, and SO slow to
copy them? Now there is practice, uni
versal in Holland, at least, and for aught
I know, in other parts Of Europe, which
would be vast improvement here. 1t is
this: Farmers, and all others living in the
country, put their name orer their gate~dy.
There is not single reason for merchant
or mechanic having sign, or resident in
the city putting his name on his door,
which is not just as strong in relation to
farmers. Many good sale would be made
at a mans own door, if towns people and
traders could find his residence, and much
time and wear and tear saved in going to .
market. The cost Of a tin sign on his gate
post would not exceed fifty cents, or his
own boys could put the name on the post
ITSELF
THE CHINESE PoTATo.-I wish to call
the attention of the public to this new
vegetable. Our potatoes have nearly run
out. We need new sort. This kind is
described at length BY Mr.. Prince, of
Flushing, Long Island, in the New York
semi.weekly Tribune Of Feb. %, 1856.
Get the number and read it. Mr.. P. says
a piece of ground ten feet long and three
feet broad furnishes enough Of this delight
full vegetable to support an adult one year!
When dried and ground it is an admirable
meal. 1t may lie in the ground all the
year and be dug as wanted. H. NJ.
(In regard to the foregoing communica-
tion, (Which we are happy to receive) We
would say that we some time since pub
lished description and somewhat lauda-
tory account of the vegetable spoken Of.
We lately read with interest the enthusi.
astic article of Mr.. Prince, in the Tribune,
and were quite carried away with the glo-
rious discovery until we noticed in the ad.
vertising columns of the same paper,
benevolent notice that Prince & Co., of
Flushing, would furnish few of the Chi
nese potato in tin cases Containing half
bushel or half pint7 don't know for IS,
and el0, each, to early applicants'-or to
that effect. We now give an article from
that excellent paper the Germantown
Telegraph, which sums up the pros and
cons Of the subject in what seems to US a
judicious manner. We would add, how
ever, that VIC have no doubt this potato or
yam is worthy Of careful trial in our country,
and as poor as Editors notoriously are, we
would not hesitate, if we were sure Of get
ting a nubbin apiece, to join four others
in buying S. can, and SO help Mr.. Prince
in his disinterested attempt to improve the
country.]
The Chinese or Japan Potato.
Last autumn, when there was SO much
"hifalutin" talk in the agricultural jour
nails, and especially in the newspapers Of
the day, about this wonderful vegetable
discovery, which is indifferen:ly called the
Dio.corea Jdponica and the Dioscorea Be-
tatas-we took occasion, As we felt it our
duty to do, to speak very plainly Of what
we believed was to be the next vegetable
humbug We were chided for this frank
out-speaking, and number Of our cotem'
poraries, in the face of our onslaught,
printed very strong statements Of the very
extraordinary great qualities Of the tubsr
which we so emphatically condemned
not that we attempted to deny, or now de-
ny, that it may be an excellent vegetable
in its way, and worthy Of cultivation in
our gardens and farms, with others but
that it would never be substitute for the
potato, which it claimed to be, and that it
was not entitled to one half the attention
which it was receiving, and which the pro.
ducers of it for sale the ensuing spring
were anxious to scatter broadcast over the
country for their individual advantage.
Since We noticed it last fall, we have
had additional evidence that our original
opinion of the value of this tuber was cor
rect. The Country Gentleman, in publish
ing, by request, the Patent Office report
of this yam-for it is nothing else-thus
speaks of it "That it may prove valua-
bic acquisition is possible, but that it will
supplant the potato, or equal the anticipa-
tions excited by the foreign accounts
land he might have added tho domestic
accounts also, i've have seen no reason
to believe" The following from the Pa
tent Office statement, is amusing;
"This root, it will be seen, is volumi-
nous, rich in nutritive matter, and can be
cooked in every respect like the common
potato, and can eUen be eaten IN the rar
state. 1t also bids fair to become source
of as much profit to the cultivator, richer
in fact in nutriment, and therefore is be.
lieved to be destined to render eren greater
service to the ,corid."
The Homestead, an able and reliable
agricultural paper, published at Hartford,
Conn, takes very common-sense view OF
this substitute for the potato. 1t quotes
the following from pamphlet on the Chi
neae potatO