The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-05-13
Cassava or MandiOc.

OdcSdVb VI WhHuIOCs
There is shrub indigenous to Brazil.
out now cultivated in other parts of
South America, Florida, the West Indies
and other tropical countries, classed by
botanists in genus Manihot, family En-
pleOr6sdcee, of which there are three
species, N. utilissin1G, M APP, and NJ.
iGniphd, the first of which is usually Gull
tivated. 1t grows from six to ten feet
high, and occasionally higher, in bushy
form, with crooked branches. The
stems are white, brittle, and have a
very large pith. The leaves. which are
near the extremity of the branches, are
very large and parted. The roots are
tuberous, from one to two feet long,
growing from three to eight in cluster,
and weighing from twenty-five to thirty
pounds. The Brazilians call it Mandi-
occa or Mandioc; the West Indians, Cas-
sava; the Peruvians and some other
South Americans, Juca or Yucca. The
roots aboundin hydrocyanic acid, which,
found in milky juice, is very poison
Gus, so much so that little of this Juice
will cause death in q few minutes; but
when it is heated the poisonous qualities
are driven of, and it becomes the base
of a sauce or condiment known as Cas-
sareep or Casiripe, noted for its anti
septic qualities, and which is also the
principal ingredient in q West Indian
dish known as pepper pot. Fermented
with molasses it makes an Intoxicating
drink, used by the natives, and known
as quycon. The root, however. is of the
most importance. This is by the natives
coarsely ground or grated, and dried in
cakes on hot stones or metal plates, by
which the poison is expelled. These
cakes are highly esteemed as food, and
are generally known in South America
as farrinGh, the Portuguese name for
meal. No water is needed to make these
roots into cakes, as the heat softens the
starch and makes a pasty dough that
soon dries. An article prepared in the
same general way, but with more care,
is made in the West Indies, called there
cassava bread, and is highly esteemed.
These cakes have somewhat the appear
ance of pilot bread, but are very much
thinner and more tender, and when
thinly spread with butter, and held for a
moment over brisk fire, are very nice
and delicate, proper dish for invalids,
and not an unwelcome one for people in
health.
From the starch is made the Brazilian
arrow-root. Tapioca is also product
of the starch. When it is heated on hot
plates and stirred with an iron rod the
starch grains burst; some of it is con-
verified into de$trine, and the whole takes
the form OF small irregular masses.
The chemical properties of Brazilian
arrow root made from cassava are almost
identical with those of the arrowroot and
OF sage, and as food they are practically
equal, the nutritive value in any of them
not being very high, as they consist mostly
of carbon. The starch of the cassava is
readily converted into grape sugar, and
from this to glucose; and it might to
great extent take the place of corn in the
manufacture of the latter article, although
there are said to be some obstacles in the
way of its treatment yet to be overcome.
Cassava root can be produced at less ex-
pense than corn, and it is to be hoped it
may finally be preferred, leaving corn to
be used for better purposes. 1t is said
that the average yield of thousand
acres of corn would give about 800 tons
of glucose, while that of thousand acres
of cassava would give 10000 tons of
glucose.
The culture of cassava is easy, as it
grows readily from cuttings on light
or sandy soil, in rows three feet apart,
and the cuttings, each containing an
eye or bud, are set about two feet from
each other. When well started, say
twelve or fourteen inches high, the soil is
drawn around the plant similarly to the
killing of corn. The leaves soon start,
which, being large, shade the ground,
serving to retain moisture and prevent
the growth of weeds. The plant arrives
at maturity about six months after plant
ing, but will continue to grow two or
three years The tubers grow from the
base of the plant, lying mostly in nearly
horizontal position, something like sweet
potatoes. The size of some of these tubers
is simply enormous.
When it is desired to use any portion
of the crop, it is gathered by merely
raising the plant from the soil and de-
taching the tubers; it can then be re-
planted, and new tubers will form. There
is no season for harvesting; of all the
days in the year one is as good as an
other When you want to use tubers,
you gather what you need, and the rest
keep on growing.-M Y. Sun.