Semi-weekly herald., 1913-11-27
AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT
HUNTING FOR NEW FRUITS

WASHINGTON, d. c., Nov. 26.-
Cheer up you lovers of custard pies,
and just plain custard If your cook
or your wife (who are probably the
same) OF your mother won't give you
custard pie as often as you like, be-
cause of the exhorbitant price of eggs,
be of good cheer. For, enter the Gus
tard apple. All you have to do is
to pick it off the tree or bush. Bet
ter still. you can carry one to the
office in your pocket, which you GER
tainly can't do with a piece of sus-
ceptible custard pie.
The custard apple is 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 table OF
Americans David Fairchild, as far
as known, has no official title. He Is
merely seeker after strange and un-
usual but edible fruits and vegetables.
Seeker" Fairchild today made up a
list of some of the more unusual
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 aforemen-
toned custard apple, the passion
fruit, the dasheen or "brindle potato"
the rambutan and the pyramid date.
The agriculture department 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 more delicious
and appetizing flavor and never tastes
burnt. The passion fruit is delici-
Gus and luscious tropical fruit which
resembles the maypop 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 in
its core according to those who've
had bite, Secretary Bryan is inter-
ested in the rambutan, which has a
shaggy covering of white meaty
pulp. Those who have eaten the
rambutan as well as drunk spirituous
concoctions, declare the rambutan
comes nearer sparkling cocktail
or mint julep in taste than any
thing that isn't cocktail or a mint
julep.
Secretary Bryan is interested in the
fruit because Seeker" Fairchild says
he thinks it can be grown in Florida
where Mr.. Bryan has lot of pretty
fair ground that isn't working. Sec
retary Bryan hasn't mentioned it, but
If he could raise bunch of the ram
butans he might put them on the
market and cut down the present con.
sumption of cocktails and mint juleps
The dasheen or "brindle potato" is
striped, brindle light brown vege
table very much like the sweet po,
tato. However, the "brindle potato
is much more prolific in growth ane
doesn't require as fertile land fol
growing. Agricultural experts say il
will grow as far north as the Masor
and Dixon line. They declare 1t hal
quite "a shade" on the regular swee
potato in flavor.
The chayote is much like a summer
squash in appearance and taste, onl!
it grows larger and is said to have ,
vastly better flavor. 1t grows II
Central America and can be grow
in California and louisiana.
The pyramid date, so-called becaus
of its huge size. grows in deser
oases and the southern portion o
Egypt. Very few Of them have bee
seen her but it is hoped that 81
expert now searching for them in thei
native land will be successful and ma
bring back seeds for experiment her,