The Republican journal., 1913-09-04
NEW FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

Some of our readers are no doubt IA
miliar with the seed catalogues of John
L. Childs, which include, among other
wonderful things, rose bushes that come
from the seed and blossom in thirty days
more or less. More are familiar with
the achievements of Burbank, wizard
kingdom; and now Uncle Sam has taken
another reef in his high water pants,
laid aside his beaver hat and gone to
work to reduce the high cost of living by
producing great variety of ed;bles that
may be grown in the garden or on the
farm. You may be called upon at no
distant day to ''pass the dasheen." This
is vegetable of Oriental origin that is
said to surpass any Irish potato ever
baked, having rich and nutty favor
that makes you little uncertain
whether you are eating potato or wal
nuts" 1t is described as larger than
the common potato and in shape between
potato and a sugar beet, with striped
and hairy skin. The tops are said to
make delicious greens and an average
crop is 400 to $50 bushels per acre. Then
there is petsai, the latest variety of cab
bage in the world 1t was brought from
China is readily acclimated, and while
it attains weight of 60 pounds, you are
advised TO gather it at about eight
pounds, since at that stage the petals
have more delicate flavor. 1t may be
boiled. steamed or made into salad.
Then there is the Bur artichoke, which
the Department of Agriculture says will
be placed in the open market in the
course of season or two. 1t is eaten
with mayonaise dressing, and is said to
possess all indescribably agreeable taste.
lido is being cultivated to take the place
Of asparagus, which it closely resembles,
but with the difference that in the lido
one eats both tip and stalk, and the
favors of each are different. The stalks
can be creamed and the tips made into
salad, and it can be eaten saladWlse,
raw. as is often done in Japan, to which
country the plant is native. We have
quite variety of beans now baked
beans, string beans. shell beans-but
Uncle Sam announces a new bean, from
the Philippines: a bean known as the
Lyon bean, closely related to the Florida
velvet bean, but possessing a totally diff
ferent flavor and consistency. Then the
/ government has gathered more than
three hundred varieties of the soy bean
from China and has been successful in
their propagation. Previous to these
explorations for foreign plants it is said
that but twenty-three varieties of the
beans were known. Evidently there is
to be no lack of beans, and they may be
served in all ys-baked, steamed,
boiled or made into a salad-all equally
nutritious, appetizing and-eheap.
A new fruit is the chayote, which has
a texture like squash, and a flavor
more delicate than the cucumber. 1t
was first found IN the West Indies, ano
can be grown anywhere in lowlands
within 200 miles of the coast below Will
mington, n. c. 1t is served in some of
the big Southern hotels in as many as
twenty different ways. Then there is a
Chinese pear, and its American descend
ants-the Kietfer and lie Conte species
which are not affected by pear blight;
the Chinese date, a drouth resistant fruit
tree from which the Chinese have de-
veloped hundreds of varieties and which
can be successfully grown in America
new species of apricots, and the citrange,
which is a cross of the Trifoliate orange
with the pollen of the sweet Florida
orange. Another brand-new food plant is
the Tangelo-a combination of tangerine
and pomelo grape fruit between the two
in size, with the loose skin and ease of
separation into segments Of the tang
crime, and acid, like the grape fruit, only
sWeeter. This fruit is in readiness to be
placed on the market.
Perhaps you would like a Yang Taw
pie. If so, you have only to fill the crust
with the fruit of the Yarg Taw vine,
which originally grew in The valley of
the Yang Use, but which has been sue
cesstully started growing here The
Yang Taw is said to have flavor similar
to that of the ripest and best goose
berries; and besides making a delicious
filling for pies, can be steamed and dis
titled into delicious drink. The mango
and persimmon have long been known in
the south, but the department is develop
ing puckerless persimmon, and is work
ing on the problem of the possible propa-
cation in American soil of the Kaki,
fruit said to surpass the flavor of any
fruit now known. And this by no means
exhausts the list OF the new fruits and
vegetables Uncle Sam and Luther Bur.
bank are developing and introducing to
feed and crafty the palates of the
American people.
''Lagniappe' is about to be abolished
in New Orleans, and like as not we shall
never learn how to pronounce it.-Atchi-
son Globe