e planted in the
West Indies early in May, and dug early in the January following. If
not bruised, they will keep well packed in ashes, the first nine, and
the second and last twelvemonths. The Portuguese and Guinea yams are
planted early in January and dug in September. Creole yams and Tanias
are dug in January. Sweet potatoes from January to March. In most of
our colonies large crops of the finest descriptions of yams, cocos,
&c., could be obtained, but the planting of ground provisions is too
much neglected by all classes. From the tubers of yams of all sorts,
and particularly the buck yam, starch is easily prepared, and of
excellent quality. Some varieties of the buck yam are purple-fleshed,
often of a very deep tint, approaching to black, and although this is
an objection, because it renders more washing necessary, yet even from
these the starch is at last obtained perfectly white.

As an edible root the buck yam, especially when grown in a light soil,
is equal to the potato, if not superior to it. It does not, however,
keep for any length of time, and therefore could not be exported to
Europe, unless the roots were sliced and dried.

Yams and sweet potatoes thrive well in the northern parts of
Australia; indeed the former are indigenous there, and constitute the
chief article of vegetable food used by the natives. The yam was
introduced into Sweden, where it succeeded well, and bread, starch,
and brandy were made from it, but it prefers a warmer climate.

Yams are occasionally brought to this country. When cooked, either by
roasting or boiling, the root is even more nutritious than the potato,
nor is it possessed of any unpalatable flavor, the pecularity being
between that of rice and the potato. Dressed in milk, or mashed, they
are absolutely a delicacy; and from the abundance in which they are
cultivated in the West Indies and other parts, they promise to become
a most economical and nutritious substitute for the potato.

The yam frequently grows to the enormous size of forty or fifty pounds
weight, but in this large state it is coarse-flavored and fibrous.

An acre of land is capable of producing 41/2 tons of yams, and the same
quantity of sweet potatoes, within the twelve months, or nine tons per
acre for both, being nearly as much as the return obtained at home in
the cultivation of potatoes; and I have the authority of all
analytical chemists for saying that in point of value, as an article
of food, the