The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-02
The Cassava Plant.

about one-third of an acre in rows four
feet apart and two feet six inches in the
row. This provided a fine feed OF roots
for two horses and two COWS once a day
for eight month. With the seed from this
one-third acre, l, in February, 1897, planted
four acres; in 1898 bout the same, and this
year 1 planted ten acres.
Preparing the Land.-I find that the land
cannot be too well prepared. After ploF-
ing, which should be done two months be-
fore planting, 1 usually give a good dress
ing, broad cast, of sable, cow chicken,
and closet manures. we'll mixed toget her
and harrow il in with a double Acme.
l have not as yet used any commercial
fertilizer on Cassava, bat intend adopting
the formula recommended by the Florida
Experiment Station. which is 125 pounds
acid phosphate, $50 pounds cotton seed meal
and 70 pounds murate of potash; to al,
$50 pounds; COST $3.50 per acre.
Planting-I have til d both shallow and
deep planting, and find I get the hest stand
when planted six inches deep. This pre-
vents the seed drying out, which il is very
liable to do when lightly covered. Pant
three feet in the row, row four feet apart,
open furrow; drop one piece of seed cane
six inches long. / find one piece is bet
ter than two, ii y0u are careful about the
seed, and Will give a better yield Gust as
zone stalk of corn to the hill viii do bet
ter than twO) and your seed goes fur Their.
The seed should be cut with a sharp
Ratchet on block end moi be bruised at
the ends. After dropping seed, throw fur
row back and level with Acme harrow,
length ways, as by doing so you are not
so liable 10 disturb the seed.
Cultivaton-Go on with cultivation and
keep down all grass and weeds until it
shows above the ground, when il should
be hoed and worked say every fourteen
days, until it is say Is inches high when
it will begin 10 shade the ground and take
care of Itself. Al The same time l believe
clean culture is necessary to the success
ful cultivation Of cassaVa. 1 have cassaVa
here now six feet six inches high on land
that least year was in velvet beans.
Harvesting-This, the most interesting
part of the business is very easily done.
After cutting off The tops, say six inches
from the crown, with an assis ant with
shovel, you can, if the land is in fair cub
tivauon, lift the entire plant Out Of the
ground. Another great advantage about
il is that when wanted for home consump-
ton, you can leave it in the ground and
use it as required. II takes no house, and,
if left until the second year, will put out
new tops and go on growing above and be-
low.
Seed.-I have previously cut the seed
about Dec. l, and have successfully pre-
served it by burying il in a pit, covering
siderable risk about this mode of dealing
with it, on account of ii so easily routing
that intend planting the seed when cut
and so save handling ii a second time In
the event of it coming up and getting
caught by frost, it win come again. CThe
same apples to sugar cane.)
Yield-I have kept no record but my
son occasionally weighs a hill, and they
vary from ten pounds to twenty-five
pounds. Planting three feet by four will
give $3.50 hills to the acre. at ten pounds
TO the hill-eighteen tons.
l have no doubt that with ordinary land
fair cultivation and fortified as recon-
mended, an average crop of ten IONS to the
acre may be relied on.
As Stock Feed.-I know nothing. thar
stock is so fond of. My horses will leave
their grain Tor it, For milk cows it beats
anything l can buy and with chickens you
can reduce the grain ration one-haf.
Marketing.-After planting my ten acres
l looked about for market, and got
freight rates from here to DeLand. The
Plant System wanted 90 cents per 100
pounds, Sc a ion. The Florida Central
and Peninsular % cents-$460 a ton I
wrote again TO the Plant System at Savan-
nah that I could not well afford to grow
the seed, plant (no pun) cultivate. dig
and haul the crop to their depot and give
them all that the product was worth at
the factory, viz. $6 a ton, so they were
good enough TO say they would take one
half, or SO a ton for my interest in the
trade. Since then another factory is on
the way at Lake Mary, and they are ready
to give S. a ton f. o. b. at any depot on the
Plant System for delivery, in car, in lots
of not less than ten tons, on Jan. l, 1900
l have sold my crop on these terms, sub
5ect to the penalty for default on either
side, of $500
AS a money crop, I believe if the pres
ent price of s. ton, is maintained, it is
the most certain that can be raised, and.
to show my faith in it, I propose planting
fifty acres this fall and am renting land
for the purpose.