The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1899-11-28
AMERICANS EAT LOTUS.
IT S NOT A BAD SORT OF FCOO.
ETHER PERHAPS.

VI = NO a 5AD SO7 Or FOOo,
EITHER. PERHAPS.
The Agricultural Department. ia Inve-tI-
eating tho Matter-Other Asiatie V-Ee-
tables THAT Hay Be Introduced Here
Lily BuIbs n FGod-wlts Cbsstnuts.
The discovery that there are lotus
enters n this country must be credited
10 experts of the Department OF Agri-
culture at Washington who have ascer-
tanned the fact incidentally 20 n special
iuvesti2a which they have been
making n regard 90 Asiatic vegeta-
b,es, writes Rene Bache n the Detroit
Free Press. Now that the Pacific
Ocean mas become al American lake,
and Yankee enterprise Is on the alert
10 gobble up whatever may be avail
able for use on the other side OF that
large pond. 1t Il considered worth
while TO ind out whether they have
any fCod-Plants over there that would
be welcome addition 90 those already
utilized N the United States. The
commission appointed by Secretary
james Wilson 20 look into the subject
has learned that there are many such,
and has verified its conclusions by
cooking and eating them, a. we'll "a
by aualyzing them IN order 70 deter
mine how much nCtrImeu5 they con
tain
One of these plants Is the lotus, the
roots Of which are largely eaten by
OrIentals IN san Francisco. being i'm
ported from Canton, and are on sale
II the markets OF the Chinese quarter
through the late winter and spring
months. They are reddish inside and
are boIledfJr the table usually, though
sometimes are consumed raw 4 kind
OF 'acrowrOot' preparation is made
from them also. In China parts of the
blossoms are used for the toilet, the
leaf stalks furnish lamp wicks. the
seeds are employed for soup and az a
remedy for Indigestion, and the roots
become IN important article Of food
IN times Of famine, fifty per cent. of
their substance being starch. The
Egyptians, too, obtain valuable iour
from the seeds, roasted and ground.
AMI bake 10 into bread.
EXPERIMENTS WITH THE Lotus.
One reason Why the economic use
tuIness Of the lotus IL so interesting IS
that the plant has been introduced into
this country within the last Few years.
for ornamental purposes. Expert
ments II its cultivation have been IN
progress for some time II various
parts Of the United States, and have
been unexpectedly successful Tt IL
found to tolerate the severe winters
Of the middle East. and the short but
hot summers give I5 an ample season
to perfect Its beautiful lowers. which
somewhat resemble gigantic roses. In
the grounds OF the Department Of AZri-
culture ut Washington Is 4 pond that
ID one great lotus bed IN July and
August Of ench year, the magnificent
blossoms attracting much admiration.
In California and the Southern States
there are many districts specially
suited TO the plant, which - an aqua
tic, and n the great interior water
way OF the former. comprising the
Sacramento AMI san Joaquin Rivers,
1T could scarcely faII to be successful
The Identity Of the vegetable. pos
sib.y only mythical, consumed by the
storIsd .0-oPhIEi, or lotus-aaters,
who were rendered by 1t t1rretfuI of
home and friends, has been much dis
purai. Certainly 1t was not the same
as the lotus here described. which
ancIen5Iy IN Egypt was 4 sacred en-
b.eu, intimately associated with re-
lgioa and poetry. The Egyptian
plant, indeed, was Il prevailing motive
ID the designs Of early painters and
sculp-0rs Of that nation. and Co this
day it survives couspi .uousiy in archi-
tec5ure-us, for example, in tine cap
i-aLs Of columns. tt was then. as it
IS now, Of Importance IA 4 fJot-Br1-
ducer, not only IN the region Of the
NI.e- but also among Asiatic peoples.
From the viewpoint Of the Govern
uan5 experts, the easiest way 10 ez-
anime Asialic f5od-pIants was To buy
them II san Francisco. where many
Of them are always Oh SAFE. being inn
ported for consumption by the Chi
uese. 4 visit % the markets Of the
Oriental quarter In that city reveals
tJ the eve sf nonresident much chat
IS both strange AMI Interesting Most
Of 5ae curious roots. green vegetables.
seeds, etc. making MP the st0ck-in
trade Of -1s s.alt-svei gr0cervmlr
are wholly unfamiliar. some Jt them
being brought directly from Canton
while others. though grown in Amer
lean 4ci ara Aailtir rn origin They
afford q -g1-sc. Of study from which.
30 b. believed. much may be I4lr1at
chat l5 Of ~l.ls. ID ,s not without
reason that the Chinese are sail -o
understand better than any other nec-
r.a the art .t .HrTr-Err from q rr-aH