The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1885-04-22

Editor Of The Florida Ayriculturist.
In the natural order of plants called
EuD,orbiace&, we find many forms, re-
markable more for their strange foliage
and peculiar properties than Tor the
beauty of their flowers.
5 Among those with which we are most
familiar are the castor OIL plant, with its
large stellar leaves and its curious seeds,
which furnish the oil; and the crOton
tiql;uns, whose woolly flowers produce
seed from which croton oil is expressed; ;
the ;pecdc. another medicinal plant; the
potaseuid pulcherrinaa, whose beautiful
scarlet bracts' make it one OF the finest
ornaments in our gardens and last, but
bv no means the least, is the manic or
Ncassoro, plant whose foliage is not
without beauty, and whose roots deserve
especial consideration.
4 The Bitter Cassava is a native OF
South America, where it is much cultl-
waited. 1t grows luxuriantly, each plant
Welding from three to eight thirty pound
tubers The leaves, as well as the roots,
contain a milky juice, which in its natu-
raj state is poisonous, but upon the ap-
plication of heat all the deleterious quail
tiles are dissipated From this juice so
prepared is made most excellent sauce
called cassareep. This sauce has a
worldwide fame. 1t is found in the
restaurants of all the noted capitals OF
/ the world, while the epicure OF every
land will have it if he has the means to
buy it. 1t imparts peculiar flavor to
all meats. and has the wonderful power
OF preserving meat fresh for long time,
\ even in the tropics. In the London res
taurant the traveller is often feasted
UPON meat that is four, six or eight
weeks old, apparently fresh, having been
preserved in the famous pepper-p0t,
whose chief Ingredient is cdssdreep. Be-
sides the cassareep the juice of the Cas-
sava. when fermented with molasses,
forms an Intoxicating liquor called
0ttyc0u. which is as much used in Brazil
as native wine is used in the south OF
France. Again, when the root is grated,
dried and eoarselE pQWdeEeds Af tns19N 2
meal that is largely used as tood. IL is
made into cakes as the oat-cake OF Scot
land, then toasted brown and eaten with
butter.
The variety of this plant which has
been introduced into Florida, is the
Sweet Cassava. 1t grows very much as
the Brazilian variety, and the yield IN
roots is very great. There is nothing
poisonous in the Sweet Cassava, and the
manifold ways in which it may be used
in the household makes it a most valua-
bic food plant Its yield in nutriment
upon a given space of ground is six times
that of wheat. When grated it yields
starch and a coarse meal. The former
may be used for all the purposes as corn
starch, and the latter may be used as
Tapioco and in many other ways. With
little salt, cattle and horses are fond OF
it, and it may be fed poultry with profit.
There is no plant that grows more read
lily in our Florida soil. 1t is propagated
by planting the canes or stalks, cut into
pieces about six inches in length. 1t
grows rapidly, maturing in SIX months,
but the roots may remain in the ground
much longer without injury. When a
mandatory is built for converting the
Cassava into starch and Tapiooa, anoth-
er avenue to wealth will be open to the
hand of industry. NJ. M, l.,