The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1879-03-26
348
Starch Producing Plants.

LEGATION of an article on starch-pro-
ducing plants, taken from Simmonds'
Tropical Agriculture" The sub
ject is a most important one to the
people of this state. We shall follow
that by other articles that can be
cultivated here, well worthy the at
tention of our agriculturists. People
do not know what can be cultivated
here, therefore read and be wis.
Starch is the chemical and COM
mon name, in some instances, for the
fecula or amylaceous matter washed
out from different parts of several
plants, such as the seeds, roots, and
cellular tissue of the stems. 1t is one
of the most abundantly diffused Of
all proximate vegetable principles.
Some kinds Of starch are prepared
for application in the arts, and by the
laundress for stifening linen others
are more powdery, and are used for
food, such as the arrowroots and corn
fours; others again are graduated,
like the sagos and tapiocas.
The color of starch is usually pure
white. In some cases a tinge of blue
can also be seen, as i'll some wheat
starch, while the starch from the po-
tato has slightly yellowish cast.
The fneness of the starch powder de-
ponds on the size Of the individual
grains, except where the grains are
artifcially agglomerated, as in sage
and tapioca; the former is in small.
round, white or brownish grains,
while tapioca is in larger, irregular,
white fragments. The individual
starch grains vary much in size,
though they are pretty constant in
any given species. Dat, rice, and
rye starches represent the smallest
grains, while those of maize starch
are much larger The medium size
is found IN the grains of wheat and
arrowroot starch. The largest grains
are found in potato and Gamma starch.
In the last two the unaided eye can
distinguish the largest individual
grains, but in nearly all Others they
can be. seen only under the micro
scope The specific gravity is more
than that of water, though it varies
much with the state of dryness of
the starch. It's average is given by
Wiesner at 1.5. 1t, however, varies
with the different species of starch.
The grains contain considerable water
las high as 80 per cent. when fresh,
reduced sometimes to Z per cent.
when air dry.
Under the microscope the starch
grains present the form OF minute
grains Of form and structure char
acteristic for each species. They are
for the most part bounded by curved
surfaces-spherical, elliptical, egg
shaped, bent-shaped, etc.-but some
times they have fiat surfaces as we'll.
They usually contain a dark spot,
line, or cross within, which is some
times central, sometimes eccentric.
This spot is called the nucleus, and
is generally small and round in starch
found in fresh tissues, slit or cross
shaped in grains which have been
dried.
ARROW ROOT.
HEThe demand for colonial arrow
roots has not progressed very rapidly,
owing, probably, to the imitation
potato starch, and the corn and rice
flours or starches SO largely sold.
In 1860 arrowroot to the value of
$40, 404 was imported into the United
Kingdom. In 1870 this had dropped
to &33,063, but in 1875 recovered to
ESQ, 143. In 1876 the imports into
London were larger, amounting to
1868 casks and 9,102 boxes and
tins.
BeTDmdd.-The arrowroot from
this island has always been considered
the finest and the best quality made,
its superiority either arising from the
nature of the water or soil, or from
greater care in the manufacture. In
1851 arrowroot to the value OF
e10,334 was shipped. This gradual
ly declined TO $4,000 or $4,000 in
1866, aud now the culture has been
altogether abandoned and given way
to more profitable crops. The ship
ments in 1870 were only about 25
cwts., against 500 cwts. in 1868.
In Bermuda arrowroot is planted
in May, and is ripe in March and
April The time for manufacturing
is in April and May, when the cold
winds set in, ranging from north.
V St to east. The whole process is
s-,a in 1vater R1'he root is~ rrotad