Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-08
A New Food Plant.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE SWEET cAssAy.
WHICH FLoURIsHEs IN FLORIDA

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE SWEET cAssAvA
WHICH FLoURIsHEs IN FLORIDA.
From the Garden and Forest
OF recent additions to the food plant of this
country perhaps none deserves as much notice as
the sweet cassava (fanihot AipD. 1t seems to
have been proved beyond. question that on the
southern border of the United States there are
considerable areas admirably adapted to grow
ing this remarkable plant as staple article of
home consumption, while in Florida, at least.
its manufacture into starch, tapioca and glu.
cose ought to become a leading industry.
The cassava plant is closely related to the
ricinus or castor bean, which it resembles in
general appearance. 1t is a handsomer plant,
not having the coarse, rank aspect of ricinus.
1t does not bear much seed, and it is not prop
agated from seed, but from cuttings OF the
larger stems.
Before it is time for frost the stems that are
half an inch or more in thickness should be
cut, laid in piles, and covered with earth. 1t is
said, also, that the stems may be kept where
they will become quite dry without having
their vitality impaired. When ready for plant
ing, in January, February, or March. the stems
are cut in pieces about six inches long. These
are planted four or five feet apart and three or
four inches deep. The crop receives shallow
culture till sufficiently grown to shade the
ground and holds its own against weeds It
may be left to grow for two years with adyan-
tage, thus requiring a minimum amount of
culture. The roots should be dug only as
wanted for use, as they decay soon after being
exposed to the air. Cassava requires mellow
well-drained land, and responds readily to
manuring. Florida's sand hills seem to he
specially adapted to this crop.
As to the quantity of cassava root that NAV
be obtained from an acre of ground, no salts
factory estimates have as vet been made. IT
must vary greatly under various conditions. A
single plant grown in Polk county produced
fifty pounds Of roots, the top measuring eight
feet in height and ten feet in breadth. II had
been highly manured. person who has given
special attention to the cassava thinks that
from ten to fifty tons of roots from one years
growth ought to be obtained from an acre Of
land according to its quality. This is little
better than conjecture, but certainly the plant
yields enormously under favorable conditions.
The uses to which cassava may be put are
almost too numerous to mention. By mann.
facture it may be converted, with scarcely any
waste, into starch, tapioca and glucose. In the
tropics cassava -four is used extensively for
making large wafer or cracker. which il quite
palatable, and keeps without injury for months.
Florida housewives have used it for making
bread, puddings custards, fritters, iellies, &C.,
also as q vegetable it is used In all ways In
which Irish potatoes are used.
IL Is as food for stock, however. that cassaya
has excited most interest. II 10 greatly rel
ished by cattle, horses, hogs, and poultry, and
seems to be a very wholesome article of food
The great tubers sometimes three or four feet
In length, may be taken from the ground At
any time OF the year and used a. food for man
or beast.