Evening star., 1912-11-10
UDo SUBSTITUTE. For ASPARAGUS
MH Be COOKED OR SERVED RAW

Pc tsai has also been served at seNera
large banquets in Washington and New
York
The tung shu nut already referred to is
the most recent of all the novelties to be
taken up by Uncle Sans agriculture
scientists, and it is rather in the nature
OF departure from their general work.
1t is not food. 1t is possible to eat
IL, and it contains nutriment, but it's chief
value lies in a strange combination utility
as a medicine or varnish. The tung
shu nut grows on huge spreading tree.
which, like the pc tsai, is a natNe of
China The nut is plucked green. and
after being plucked nine persons out of
ten would probably mistake it for a large
onion. Once plucked, the nut is kept until
it dries. Then it is cracked and the
kernel extracted.
This kernel, according to Uncle Sam.
makes the finest varnish for hard woods
that 1t is possible to get; a yarnish that
dries quickly, is brilliant and is lasting.
Naturally, it will be of untold value to
furniture manufacturers, but the nut will
also be OF untold value to the public at
large through its medicinal properties.
Tests have shown that the tree thrives
in several sections of this country-in
1act, several acres of trees given away
by the Department of Agriculture five
years ago, when they were mere strip
lings, are now bearing
Of all the new foods which Uncle Sam
plans to send to our tables none prob
ably has SO interesting history as the
breadfruit, which was brought to the
attention of the bureau of plant industry
about four years ago. AS in the case OF
the pahomey sweet potato the intro
auction of breadfruit came indirectly
through the diplomatic service This
time, however, it was the result of per-
Sonal correspondence between Mr.. Fair
child and North Winship. United States
consul to Tahiti
During his stay in Tahiti Mr. Winship
became personal friend of Queen Sal
mon, who. while no longer actually on
the throne of the islands, still maintained
semi-regal court. Through this friend
ship he became intimately familiar with
all the native customs. He was invited
to many native feasts. and he noticed
that at all of them he was served with a
delicious food which seemed half fruit
and half vegetable. and which tasted
something like each, Yet different from
both; Altosether it was different from
anything he had ever eaten. Finally he
asked what the dish was, and was in
formed that it was breadfruit
This set him thinking. Breadfruit grew
in profusion throughout the entire is
land. but they We're big, green globes,
about as unsavory looking is imagin-
able. For all their name, he had never
thought of them as being valuable for
1000, Yet cooked he mad fOunu them de-
licious. So he wrote to Mr.. Fairchld,
telling him of his experiences.
Considerable correspondence on the
subject passed, and finally it was ar
ranged that some of the breadfrut be
sent to this country. This was done and
they We're cooked, but the result was not
particular edible. More correspondence
followed, and it developed that they had
not been palatable because they had not
been cooked in the proper way. After
several weeks the consul mentioned the
incident to Queen Salmon. Immediately
she became interested. In the end she
promised to have her own chef cook a
mess of breadfruit and send them to the
Department of Agriculture that Mr. Fair
child might eat and be convinced. The
government accepted this offer CRATE
fully, and as a mark of its appreciation
sent the ex-queen a large assortment of
flower seeds.
All those who tasted the breadfruit de-
clared it delicious. Tests showed il to
be well named for 1t contains perhaps
more actual nutriment than bread For
all that it is called d fruit, 1t is more
like a vegetable 1t is as big as grape
fruit, and the meat is mealy like that
of a potato, but it has distinctive
flavor that would delight an epicure.
1t is improbable, however. that the
breadfruit. despite it's nutritve quail
ties and its delicious flavor. will ever be-
come common article Of food in this