Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-12-08
Substitute for Custard Pie.

Cheer up, you lovers of custard
pie and just plain custard. If your
cook or your wife (who are probably
the same) or your mother won't give
you custard pie as often as you'd
| like, because of the exorbitant price
of eggs, be of good cheer. For, enter
the "custard apple" All you have
to do is to pick it off the tree or
bush. Better still, you can carry
one to office in your pocket, which
you certainly can't do with a piece of
susceptible custard pie.
The custard apple 10 only one of
the rare and heretofore uneaten
fruits and vegetables which David
Fairchild of the Department of Agri-
culture has dug up for the tables of
Americans. David Fairchild, as far
as known, has no official title. He
! Is merely seeker after strange and
unusual but edible fruits and vegeta-
bles. Seeker" Fairchild has made
up list of some of the more un-
usual vegetables and fruits which he
has ,unearthed or brought to earth,
as the case may be, and gave it to
the United Press. They include the
aforementioned custard apple, the
passion fruit, the dasheen or "brin-
died potato" the rambutan and the
pyramid date.
The Department Of Agriculture is
now trying to produce the custard
apple in this country for commercial
use. They say that it tastes exactly
like custard, only it has a more de-
licious and appetizing flavor and
never tastes burnt. The passion
fruit is delicious and luscious trop-
ical fruit which resembles the may
pop of the south, except that it is
sweeter. Efforts are being made to
cross the maypop and the passion
fruit in the hope that it can be grown
in the southern states.
AS for the rambutan, there is hid
den joy and imprisoned sunshine
sparkling in it's core, according to
those who've had a bite. Secretary
Bryan is interested in the rambutan,
which has shaggy covering and a
white meaty pulp. Those who have
eaten the rambutan as well as drunk
spirituous connections declare that
the rambuton comes as near spark
ling cocktail or mint julep in taste
as anything that isn't a cocktail or a
mint julep.
Secretary Bryan is interested in
the fruit because Seeker" Farchild
says he thinks it can be grown in
Florida where Mr.. Bryan has lot Of
pretty fair ground that isn't work
ing. Secretary Bryan hasn't men
toned it, but if he could raise a
bunch of rambutans he might put
them on the market to cut down the
present consumption OF cocktails and
mint juleps.
The dasheen or "brindled potato"
is striped, brindled light brown
vegetable very much like the sweet
potato However, the "brindled po-
tato" is much more prolific in growth
and doesn't need as fertile land for
growing Agricultural experts say
it will grow as far north as the Ma
son and Dixon line. They declare 1t
has quite Shade on" the regular
sweet potato in flavor
The chayote is much like a summer
squash in appearance and taste, only
it grows larger and is said to have a
vastly better flavor 1t grows in Cen
trail America and can be grown in
California and Louisiana.
The pyramid date, so called be-
cause of it's huge size, grows in des-
ert GASES and the southern portions
of Egypt. Very few have been seen
here but 1t is hoped that an expert
now searching for them in their ma
tive land may bring back seeds for
experiments here.