A SUBSTITUTE FOR POTATOES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3230, 29 May 1911, Page 2

A SUBSTITUTE FOR POTATOES.

VALUE OF TEC AROIDS

Tli© United States Department of Agriculture, at its experiment station in South Carolina last year, raised a ton and a half-of aroid tubers on a sixth of an acre of land. These tubers are me foundation for th epoi cf the Hawaiian;*, the malanga of the Cubans, the oto of the Panamans- —foods tliat arc the main sustenance of the peoples named. The aroids are the staff of life for many millions of people the world around dwelling in the tropics. Numerically they probably support as many people as do rice or wheat. Not only this, but they support these millions at a cost averaging less than five cents a dav.

The Department of Agriculture has begun the experiment ot determining whether or not the aroids may be grown in the United States to the benefit of the people. They have been raised experimentally, and have produced promising crops in practically all the Southern states. It 'has been demonstrated that crops amounting to 15 and 20 tons to the acre may be grown on practically any of the lowlands of the South. It is believed' that they may be produced in quantities at less expense than many potatoes, and that they provide a food that is in every way equal to that staple and furnishes an agreeable substitute and change. The- experiments, will be carried forward on a much larger scale next year. The special varieties tliat thrive best in this country will be selected, and 1 when decided upon will be placed in the hands of numbers of intelligent experimenters who want to take further steps towards developing the crop. The aroids, having been grown for centuries in various parts of the world, have differentiated, and there are hundreds of varieties. The plant representing them with which Americans are most familiar is the “elephant’s ear,” used as an ornamental plant in many American gardens. The taro of Hawaii is probably the best known variety that is largely cultivated as a food-yielding plant. These plants grow abundantly on low and wet lands. Tl:*y require little cultivation ,and yield! prodigiously. Because of this large yield and small amount of labor required, the aroids came to be cultivated in the tropics in the early centurites when man first began to take thought and to plant food bearing crops. They are among the oldest cultivated "plants in the world. They grow abundantly in Central America, South America the West Indies, Equatorial Africa, Malaysia, Japan, China. In this last century they are largely cultivated in latitudes that correspond with that of Washington, D.C.. From these fact- 1 , and from the experience already had, it is believed that they offer great possibilities in the United States, and that their introduction might add a new food that would net only give greater variety, but cheaper living there. The tubers grow on the roots of the aroids. much as grow. They thrive under such conditions of moisture as are favorable to rice. In tlie moist, loose soil the plant may be taken bv the top and lifted 1 , roots and all, from the earth. The tubers are as large as the fist, and covered with a somewhat rough skin. When baked they come out of this skin with even more readiness than does the potato. They may be peeled easily before cooking; and they lend themselves to frying, boiling, baking, and all manner of combinations. In flavor they are entirely individual, but attractive. There is more flavor to them than to potatoes, and a wide variety among the different kinds. This flavor may be described as being somewhat nutty; it appeals, to most tastes. The aroids offer great possibilities as a food for the millions of the temperate zones. Their coming into general use not all improbable. They will be an important addition to food' 2>roducts, that- may be a substitute not only for potatoes, but a means of meeting deficiencies apt to obtain even in the near extensive cultivation of crops in t-liis country.—American Homes and Garden.