The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1893-04-21
CASSAvA.

AS VIC importance OI cdsSaNa as
food tor both man and beast .is
slowly becoming more aud more
appreciated, AID as II yields a
much greater amount of nutriment
per acre than any other farm crop,
a few words regarding il may be
timely and appropriate.
The usual time for planting is
about II month before the last
frost OF sprlng is expected, but as
a matter of fact December is The
best lime. 1t may be planted a. the
lime when sound reed stalks can
be obj aimed.
Plow and harrow tie gronnd I'm.
I'll il is III perfect condition f lilth.
Make furrOws lour inches deep
and four ieei apart. Cut The seed
stalks into pieces three or four
inches long, making sure that there
are two or three buds on each
piece. Drop The pieces four feet
apart in The furrows on ordinary
land, three feet ii The soll is poor
cover with plow or hoe, pressing
The soil firmly over The seed with
The foot or with a roller.
Cultivate as for corn with a har.
row or cultivator. Leave the land
level. When six to eight inches
high scatter a handful Of cotton
seed meal, or what is bei,era com.
pleie fertilizer, around each hill
about six inches from the cassava
stalk. Hoe it IN. If the process
be repeated a couple Of weeks later
the yield will be considerably IN.
creased.
Soil suitable for corn is apprO
pirate for cassava. 1t must not,
however. be wei land or land sub.
jet 10 overflow, as that will rot
the tuberS.
The roots will remain in ground
two seasons if the stalks are cut
and the siumps covered with earth
toprevent damage by frost.
Frost, il severe. will kill the
plant SO eheclnally that but a
small proportion will spront again.
By saving the sIumps when the
ruols are dug, and planting them.
they will sproul and grow though
The tops be killed two or three
times.
The yield of roots per acre va.
ries with the quality of The land.
As there will be 2.74O hills per
acre. pound to IA hill will give ov-
er a ton and a quarter per acre.
On land that will not grow more
than five bushels of corn per acre
cassava will average from three to
five pounds per Eill, or al a very
moderate estimate four 10 five
tons Ler acre. On land that will
grow twenty five or more bushels
per acre cassava can be safely esti.
mated to yield as many tons per
acre.
AS a food for stock it is much
more valuable than potatoes, eth.
or Swee, or Irish, and a better pro.
mo,er of heallhinl growth than
corn. Ii is a more complete food
than either.
For man il is a very desirable
addition 10 The food supply. Ii Is
more complete food than any
other vegetable.
II is prepared for food as pota.
toes. Preferable. however, by
first boiling. Wash, cut into
pieces three or four inches long
md put INTO salted boiling water.
A very hot, steady fire gives the
best results. The best roots crack
open aud are as mealy as the best
potatoes. TIE time required,
however, is quite variable. Some
Of The pieces will cook thoroughly
, IN twenty minutes, while others
require an hour or more. They
may then be served as hot, boiled
potatoes, or fried as cold potatoes
by siiclng, Or broken into small
pieces and frie,l, or mashed as po-
ialoes. A good plan by the las,
two methods is to mix a portion
of potato with The caSsava. 1t is
} good sliced raw and used as one oil
the ingredients of a stew. II may
also be grated and used with any
desirable proportion OF wheat flour
and corn meal for griddle cakes
two Of cassaya to one of each of the
others gives good results. 1t may
be grated aud used for custards Ol
puddings, or the starch may be
washed out aud tie residue used
for -four.
The sweet cassava which il
grown in Florida, does not con
tain sufficient starch TO make il
, commercially valuable Tor iha,
! purpose. It's greatest value is al
Iood for man and beast. 1t is es
pecially valuable to promote
healthy growth and besides Is yer,
: faltenlng.
The cost Of preparing and fer
. tllizing the land and planting tn,
seed is about the same as for corr
: While the product will average no
: far from ton Of cassava for eacl
e bushel oI corn that could be grows
: on the same land, while a bnshe
J. OF cassava will doubtless give n
much nutrition as a peck of corn
II will undoubtedly give ten T.
e Twelve times as much nutrition
G per acre as corn.
/, This is the most sure aud relia
= BILE OF any known crop.
I The roots, when left in th
I. | Upount vct tko ttswI ,,~~w