Imperial Valley press., 1913-11-26
Custard Apple
The Newest One
BY Burton h. Standish
Written for the United Press)

WASHINGTON, Nov 26.-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 is only one of the
rare and hitherto uneaten fruits and
vegetables which David Fairchild of
the department of agriculture has dug
up for the tables of Americans. David
Fairchild, as far as known, has no Off
cial title He is merely seeker after
strange and unusual but edible fruits
and vegetables. Seeker" Fairchild
today made up 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
aforementioned custard apple, the
passion fruit, the dasheen or "brin-
died potato" the rambutan and the
pyramid date.
The agricultural 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 a more delicious and appe-
tizing flavor and never tastes burnt.
The passion fruit is a delicious and
luscious tropical fruit which resem-
bles the maypop of the south, eX-
cept 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 its core, according to
those who have had a bite. Secretary
Bryan is interested in the rambutan,
which has a shaggy covering and
white meaty pulp. Those who have
eaten the rambutan as well as drunk
spirituous concoctions declare that the
rambutan comes as near a sparkling
cocktail or a mint julep in taste as
anything 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 a 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 to cut down the present con-
sumption of cocktails and mint juleps.
The dasheen, or "brindled potato"
is striped, brindled light brown veg
etable very much like the sweet po-
tato. However, the "brindled potato"
is much more prolific in growth and
doesn't need as fertile land for grow
ing. Agricultural experts say it will
grow as far north as the Mason and
Dixon line. They declare it has quite
a "shade" on the regular sweet po-
tato in flavor.
The chayote is much like summer
squash in appearance and taste, only
it grows larger and is said to have
a vastly better flavor. 1t grows in
Central America and can be grown in
California and Louisiana.
The pyramid date, so-called because
of its huge size, grows in desert GASES
and the southern portions of Egypt.
Very few have been seen here, but it
is hoped that an expert now search
ing for them in their native land may
bring back seeds for experiments
here.