The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-03-07
New Fruits For Florida
By Nellie N. Cook.

claim and "get away with it" for some
time; and IL In not surprising that SO
many people have come here expecting
to make an easy living, but finding
that the harvest did not realize their
dreams, and not having the red blood
of sturdy manhood In their veins they
left for back home" and ever after
gave Florida q black eye.
AS every one here knows, who is at
all conversaht with conditions as they
are, Florida is a state of many and
varying chimes, but this article has to
do with northwest Florida alone and
tells OF a few experiments extending
over nine years In this section OF the
state.
All the common and well known
fruits such as Strawberries. plums,
peaches. pears. plulberries. blackber-
ries and dewberries all grow here to
perfection, as Go all the vegetables
from the coarse coilard to the dainty
spinach and the appetizing celery: but
1t In with the new fruits and vegeta-
bles that this article deals.
Florida has been called the land OF
the dasheen, SO evidently some one has
been raising IL for table use as well
as for ornament, but 1t is not grown
extensively around here. There are
many varieties. the two best known
are the ones raised for greens and the
other for the tuber. Some have said
there was no difference between the
two but the agricultural department
at Washington says there is a very
great difference. the variety raised for
the tubers being considered far more
valuable. The dasheens are related to
the elephant ear. taro, and yautia and
are of tropical or subtrcpical origin.
This variety, called by the Japanese
Yegu-ino, is cultivated principally for
its leaves for green's. The tubers are
acrid when raw, somewhat like the
Indian turnip. and while edible when
cooked they are inferior in flavor and
low in nutritive qualities.
To obtain good results, the plants
must be grown In a moist, rich sandy
loan, In a warm situation. A square
yard of space should be allowed for
each plant. The tubers should be
placed two inches belo wthe surface
of the soil, two or three weeks before
the last spring frost is expected. In
northern regions where the season may
be somewhat short, 1t is well to start
the tubers in sand under glass and
transplant to the open as soon as dam
ger OF frost Is over. In cultivation,
during the summer, the soil should be
gradually drawn to the plants.
Under favorable conditions, the
plants reach a height of four feet or
more. Six to ten shoots are sent up by
each plant, giving a large amount OF
leaves. The entire leaf including petit
Gle, Is a dark green. Leaves may be
gathered ordinarily from July or Au-
gust un il frost.
The leaves as well as tubers are ac-
h.
tasted until properly cooked. Only the
blade OF the leaf is used OF this re-
move half or more Of the midrib and
boil for IL to 10 minutes in water to
which a good pinch Of soda has been
added. Drain off the soda water wash
with clear boiling water and then boil
for 45 minutes in water. seasoned with
salt.
The above treatment destroys the ac-
ridity. but boiling in soda water has
been found unnecessary when the
greens are cooked with fat meat.
Harvesting of the tubers may be
done any time after the plants begin
to ripen in the fall. but should be
done before heavy frost. This dasheen
requires a shorter season than most
varieties. The tubers must be allow
ed to dry, preferably in the shade for
should then be stored in a dry place
of moderate temperature where the air
can circulate freely, or may be placed
In dry sand or earth.
Since the tubers Of this dasheen are
acrid, they must not be fed even to ,
stock without cooking.
The special value of dasheen greens
lies in the fact that they become avail
able during the middle or latter part
OF the summer and early fall. when II
is difficult to obtain spinach or other
green's. The green's when properly |
cooked are mild In flavor and have been |
pronounced equal to spinach in quail |
ity.
The dasheen that to some extent |
takes the place Of the Irish potato, is /
grown and cultivated very similarly to |
the dasheen described above The tu- |
bers to be cooked In all the ways in |
which an Irish potato is served They |
are a dainty violet color when cooked !
and one must become accustomed to /
the color. though the taste and flavor !
Is delicious. The dasheen Is more use /
full as an ornamental plant than the |
caladium. as 1t grows in closer clust- !
ers and the leaves are fully as large. |
Another tuber that is worthy of cul- |
tivation and does particularly well in |
alata, the Uvi-yam, or Hawaiian |
yam" from Indian and the South Sea |
Islands. This species is one of the |
principal kinds cultivated in tropical !
countries and has been successfully i
grown in New Zealand and in south
ern states. 1t Is proragated from pieces !
OF the old root or from seeds that !
form in the axil of the leaf stem; these |
seeds resemble the beet seed but is |
much larger. In warm climates these |
yams come to perfection In about ,
seven months. The stems are four I
angled and not prickly and In cultiva-
ton are supported on stakes. The tu-
bers, of which there are many forms. |
under favorable circumstances will at
tain length of eight feet and the ,
weight of 100 pounds. Here in Florida .
none have grown larger than the Iarg- /
est sweet potatoes. They are eaten |
boiled or baked, though We found them