Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-28

| full. The cement should have been
very wet when put in and the hole
should have been filled only flush with
| the wood, not with the bark then
| the bark would have grown over the
cement. As it is the bark is probably
growing under the cement and push
ing it out. This frequently happens
| where the work is improperly done.
Cold Ashes for Dust Bath.
Is there any objection to using
ashes in the poultry house as a dust
bath? r. L. W.
East Orange.
| Ashes make fairly good dust bath,
although coal ashes may somewhat
/ impair the lustre of the plumage in
the case of fancy fowls.
Dasheeu, the New Vegetable.
Can you tell me anything about the
"dasheen,' which, l understand, is
new vegetable? Can it be grown
In New Jersey? MRS. r. M.
| Pennington.
The "dasheen' is the root of a
plant which resembles that known
| Familiarity as the elephants ear"
| but the roots of the ordinary ''ele-
plants ear are not "dasheens." The
vegetable looks like an understood
cocoanut, although it sometimes
grows to considerable size. The
| "dasheen' originally came from
China, as it's name seems to indicate
| a corruption of the French de Chine"
1t has already been grown success
fully in our South, and should event
ually become one of the most i'm
portant field crops there, but as yet
! not enough people have become in
| terested in 1t to justify dealers in
| rutting it on the market.
"Dasheens," large or small, may be
baked like potatoes, in a quick oven.
They should first be washed and
scrubbed to remove the fibrous part of
the skin. When practicable to do so,
| it is often desirable to scrape the
"dasheens" before baking, as they are
more convenient for eating, and the
soft crust which forms when they
are properly baked is particularly de-
licious. The cormS may be cut in
half from top to base, in order to
lessen the time needed for baking.
They should be served hot. Season
with salt and plenty of butter, and
pepper. if desired. Gravy instead of
butter may be used.
The dasheen, when properly baked
and served, is mealy and the flavor is
much like that OF the white potato,
hut more or less suggestive of chest
nuts. II not overbaked the skin, when
properly scrubbed or scraped before
hand, will be found of delicious flavor
AS the dasheen is drier than the po-
tato it requires more butter.
This vegetable is already staple
article of food for millions of people
| in tropical countries, although
Americans have not yet evinced much
interest in it. In general, it may be
used in the different ways in which
the white potato is used
The United States department OF
agriculture has been forced to reply
to the inquiries from central and
northern European countries that the
dasheep cannot be grown successfully
where the summers are not tropical
In fact. the dasheen cannot be grown
with commercial success where the
frostless season is less than six
months, and longer season is desira-
BILE. Contrary to the belief of many
people, the United States is country
of tropical summers, and the dasheen
has been grown successfully ms far
north as Norfolk, Va. Nevertheless,
there has been no general interest
shown in the vegetable. although the
department of agriculture has pre-
viously stated that every Southern
home would do well to grow at leass a
small quantity