Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-05-19
FOOD IN THE TROPICS
COSTS s CENTS A DAY
Americans Could Live on That Sum
if They Gould Stand the
Meals Served.
PLANTS WILL GROW IN THE q. S.
Ton and a Half of "Aroids" Was
Harvested Last Year in
South Carolina.

When Americans learn to eat the
food of the tropics they may live On
cents a day, says a writer IN the Los
Angeles Times. That men may i've
at this cost and maintain heath ana
vigor is proven by the fact that MIL
lions are doing it today. That one OF
the cheap foods upon which they
thrive may be grown throughout the
southern half of the United States IS
among the new revelations OF the De
partment of Agriculture. That 1t VIII
stand shipment to the balance OF the
country is also shown.
A ton and half Of this food was
last year harvested from a sixth or an
acre in South Carolina. 1t will this
year be widely propagated and next
year there will be plants for dlstrlDu-
ton to a wide circle Of eXperimenters.
The plants that make this cheap l1V-
ing possible in the tropic are the
aroids, one representative of which IS
the elephants ear with which
Americans are familiar as an orna-
mental plant. 1t is one of these arolds
which yields the poi Of the HaWa1lans,
the melanga of the Cubans and the OTTO
of the Panamans. Yautias, dasheens
and various other plants somewhat
widely known belong to the same fam
ily. which is called by hundred diff
ferent names in various parts OF the
world
Roughly they are all aroids. They
grow in abundance in Central America,
South America, the West Indies, equa-
torial Africa, Malaysia, the Hawaiian
Islands, Japan and China. In all
these countries the natives plant them
crudely in damp places and reap aoun-
dant harvests. They prepare them for
eating in a hundred ways. They are
toothsome, nourishing, economical.
They far surpass many of the eXpen-
sive foods of this country and have
much that recommends them to the en-
tire world.
The aroids are root crops. They
are more nearly comparable with pota-
toes than with anything else we know.
The tubers grow in clusters on the
roots of the plant. They are often
larger than ones fist and are covered
with a somewhat rough skin. This
may, however, easily be removed, or it
may be left on until after cooking. The
tubers may be baked, boiled or fried.
Baking is probably the best method
of cooking them They may be mash
ed and prepared with butter or milk
or eggs.
There are great numbers wherever
the elephants ear flourishes, but too
far north will not come to maturity.
There are many varieties and some of
these flourish much farther north than
others.
The aroids are wet land plants.
They thrive on lowlands that are
much flooded, provided the water does
not stagnate on them. Their favorite
conditions are those under which pota-
toes would not thrive. Some varie-
ties grow we'll under conditions suit
able for rice.
There are in the south millions of
acres that are lying idle because they
are too wet, and some of these great
areas would be ideal lands upon which
TO grow the aroids They require lit
tie cultivation as compared with other
crops. 1t is because of this small la
Dor demand that the crop has always
been so popular in the tropic, where
men are not given to oVereXertion.