The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1878-05-15
SEARCHES OF FLORIDA,
USES AND VALUE.

luIS SublCCb 10 OHS ~ "'--~-- @C+ y $500
past have been endeavoring to direct the
attention OF our people, believing that
when pepper appreciation of the import
auce of turning our attention to the culti-
walton of starch producing plants, such as
are now successfully cultivated, without
taking into account other species that may
be introduced OF those growing wild. that
the industry will be found to be one of the
best paying investments that can be en-
tered into, and that our people will engage
in il with the same energy and zeal that
is now displayed in Grange culture.
Nv experience during the war, with cas-
sava and arrow root as a food plant for
both man and beast. has convinced me that
its culture should be entered into extern
sively. The cassava furnishes anutritious
article of diet in the form of starch and
tapioca, OF the root may be boiled with
fresh meat and is fair substitute for the
Irish potato the ROOTS also grated. baked
in bread and made into buildings and
fritters.
1t is well known that MANY persons are
deferred from moving to our State and
engaging in fruit culture, because they
must wait ten or twelve years before the
trees will begin TO yield fruit; they want
to plant some annual crop that will insure
them support while waiting for the
orange grove to come into bearing. This
desired crop will be found in the cassave
and arrow root. To make the cultivation
of these plants success only requires that
starch 1esshould be established
at points convenient to the producer.
To form just conception of the value of
the cassava, it may be well to compare it
with staple product of the Northern
States, viz: The Irish potato. The highest
estimate of the average product of the po-
tato is 800 bushels per acre, which at 60lbs.
per bushel is $4,000 lbs. The yield in starch
is from to 6 lbs. per bushel; taking the
highest as one to ten, the result will be
1900 lbs. of starch per acre. Now compare
this with the return from an acre in cassava
planted Aka, at an average of 20 lbs. to the
hill, will be 81, 440 lbs. of root. The starch
product by our unskilled domestic mode of
manufacture is one pound to five, result
in starch of 1O,S9S lbs. per acre. The fore
going estimates are for high rate of pro-
duct. Reduce that of cassava one half and
even then we have the large result of 5,444
lbs. of starch to compare with that from
the potato of 1900 lbs. / have no doubt
that when proper machinery is introduced
for the manufacture of starch that the root
pound to four
The cassava grows to the highth of from
six to ten feet; the top plant is cut before
cold weather sets in and is banked as seed
for next years planting. The roots con-
4 tain the starch, and are from two to four
Inches in diameter and from two to six
1eer-W=nuas W
Eve of these roots are taken from one hill.
| Select fair pine land or hammock, break
up and lay off In cheeks 4x4 feet, place a
piece of the plant that has been banked. in
the check and cover three inches deep; the
piecesmay be from four to ten inches long.
according to size. The planting may begin
in this. section the list of February: the
after culture will be the same as for corn
in couple OF months the plant will shade
the ground and keep down weeds. In
October the roots will be ripe enough to
begin to use. There are two kinds of cas-
sava: one, the bitter, contains prussic acid.
and requires to get rid of this poison, a
different mode of preparation from the
sweet, which is the kind cultivated in this
section; the sweet is said to yield the
largest proportion of starch In manufac-
turing, the rind, which is of light pink
color must be taken off, the rest grated
| ne:miXed with clear water, agitated and
worked over TO get all the starch: this
water is poured off, allowed to settle and
the starch washed number of times. then
put upon cloth and placed where it will
dry rapidly to prevent souring The result
| ing starch is heavy. brilliant. and we'll
suited for laundry purposes, the dressing
of goods, or for food. If desired. it can be
made into tapioca, which is done by tho
application OF heat and stirring until the
particles are aglutinated. The refuse pulu
and rind is eaten readily by horses and
hogs and possesses considerable fatteninp
| properties.
Arrow root tMaranta arundinacea) from
which the Bermuda arrow root is prenared
is grown successfully upon most of our
pine land. The land should be prepared as
Tor corn and laid off in rows three feet
apart, small piece of the root containing
one OF more eyes, is planted 1s inches in
the row, and covered about two inches
deep; the after culture sufficient to keen
down the grass and weeds The ground
becomes completely filled with the roots.
which are ripe enough in October for use.
Time for planting. February and March
Enough have raised a considerable
amount of the root, I am not able to saw
what will be the product of an acre. but
am inclined to think that the amount of
farina will equal or even excel that of
cassava as the plant is very rich in starch