The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1879-04-23
$50
arch-PrOducing Plants.
(C0actuGled.)
JAPANESE SEARCHES.

Japan are worth special notice; these
are the "kudzu," or starch made from
the root Of Puer0riG ZhatnbeTgi0aG;
the "kata- kuri," made of the root of
a kind of dog's-tooth violet; and,
finally, the starch prepared from the
root of the fern Pcris Ageilia0. All
these three plants grow wild, and the
kudzu, which yields the best starch,
is very abundant in certain places.
1t belongs to the Papilonaceous fami-
ly, grows very rapidly, and in short
time its creepers cover the ground,
spreading over the neighboring BUSH
es and trees their luxuriant foliage.
The root is frequently over five feet
in length, and as thick as mans
arm. For the manufacture Of starch
by the ordinary process Of crushing
the root, washing the starch out and
decanting it, moderate.sized roots,
one foot in length and one inch in
diameter, are mostly used. The
starch is of fine color, and has
most agreeable flavor; mixed with
warm water Ii produces fine trans
parent paste.
The method of preparing the two
other kinds of starch from the roots
of the dog's-tooth violet and the fern
the former of which merits special
mention for its qualities-does not
present any popularity. Both form
articles OF food, but the fern starch is
also used in various industries, as it
produces very strong paste, called
"shibu," on being carefully mixed
with the sap of unripe persimmons.
The fibres Of the fern root, after the
starch has been washed out, are made
into ropes, which are used in the mud
walls of the buildings, SO as to afford
a better hold tor the loan. 1t may
be added that the manufacture of
star Oh sugar has long been known in
Japan. Millet and rice are used for
this purpose, and, after having been
steamed, they are mixed with a GER
tain quantity of malt or Ierment, and
kept for several hours at fixed tenn
perature in close vessels, after which
the liquid portion is strained and con-
centrated by evaporation to a strong
syrup or solid mass, which is formed
into bars while still hot. Vendors
of this starcn sugar are often to be
met with in the streets, where, to the
great enjoyment Of children, they
manufacture all sorts of animals and
figures with this material, by pro-
cess quite similar to that of glass
blowing.
CHAYoTE (SecItiuna eCzttle, Sw.;
Chayotis eolexziS, Jacq.).-This climb
ing plant of the Cucurbit family,
yields excellent fruit, and the heavy
tubercular roots contain large guam
THY of starch. OF this starch good
samples were shown in the Mexican
section of the International Exhibi-
ton at Philadelphia in 1876. The
fruit Is green, large, and covered
with thorns. In the mountains and
inland parts OF Jamaica the plant is
much cultivated to fatten hogs with
the fruit. The fruit is sometimes
boiled and served up at table, but
the flavor is rather insipid. When
sown in sandy soil 1t grows luxu.
riantly in the first year, yielding
abundant fruit. The second year it
produces tubercles, which can be
taken off without killing. the plant.
This operation may be repeated for
six or eight years. A plant under
favorable circumstances will produce
from eighty to one hundred pints and
a great number Of tubercles. The
culture is very simple, and the ebay
ote is not ject to the diseases
which affect her tuberous plants.
The ancient Aztecs cultivated this
vegetable largely, giving it the name
of Chayotli, which means "squash
covered with thorns." The roots
have large proportion of starch, as
is shown by the following analysis Of
Professor Herrera:
w ater.- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. n.0O