The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-30
MODEL FARM ONE
 OF THE SIGHTS OF BALDWIN
The Growing of Cassava and the Uses of the Pro- ducts--What Can Be Done With
 Soil of South Alabama.

first fall of frost. and they were so un- satisfactory for seed for that reason that a fresh supply was secured from Florida where the growing of cassava has been an established industry for several years. Frost is said to kill tho vitality of the eye" on the stalks "eyes" that are similar to those on the stalk of the sugar cane and from which the plant Is propagated.
 Harvesting the Cassava.
 The cassava roots are kept in the ground just as they grew until they are needed The bushes and the roots of the plants are left undisturbed un- til the succulent roots are needed for stock food. When feed for the horses, the mules. and the cows is needed, the hired man goes out to the cassava field and with . sharp sudden pull jerks the plant from the ground. This is done with little effort.
 The amount of roots on a plant is astonishing. It looks like when a plant Is 1erked from the ground that a whole bushel of roots comes with 1t. The yield of one plant would indicate that the whole field underground was honeycombeJ with roots. The roots have a thin covering of brown. The appearance of the interior of the root is very like that of a turnip. It Is as
 
 are first taken from the ground.
 In this state the roots are a great delicacy to stock of all sort.
 If the cassava roots are permitted to remain in the air for several weeks they grow hard and the stock finds them unpalatable. For this reason the roots are pulled from the ground as they are needed. They are run through a specially designed machine which fhana iSfn v,to three or four inches in length:. These pieces are gathered up and dumped into the feed trough where they are eaten eagerly by horse. mule. cow or sheep.
 Cassava has a much higher percent age of strength giving qualities than corn. It is said by its admirers to be the best stock food that can be grown. Conservative men say that its increas- ing growth in Florida is solving the forage problem in that State, a State where corn and other grain do not
 grow so well as farther north. It has enthusiastic admirers on the Florida
 farms.
 A Brazilian Product. The plant Is a Brazilian product, in- | troduced several years ago in Florida to take the place of corn that could not be grown there with any great
 profit Its growth has not yet assum- ed any great proportions in Baldwin County. In fact 1t has just been in-
 troduced by Dr. Foley within the past | two years. It is a delicate plant, one that requires the same sort of climate and the same sort of weather, as does the tomato plant Cassava is widely used for human | food. too. Much of the commercial tapioca is made of cassava. Cassava grown fin Baldwin County is made into
 pies all the year around. On its first eating a Cassava pie is mistaken for | a coaconut custard.
 The United States Department of
 Agriculture is encouraging the making | of starch from cassava. Experiments | by the department have shown that | cassava yields 25 per cent of its own { weight in starch. The same bulletin | from the Department of Agriculture | declares that doubtless pork can be produced on less cost from cassava | than from any other source" The bull letin declares, however, that 1t is the I experience of the experiment stations | that cassava can not be successfully grown in a climate that has not at | least eight months absolutly free from | frost
 Dr. Foley is of the opinion that the | southern portion of Baldwin County is | as fine a field for the growing of cas- | sava as any part of Florida. He ex- poets to see the day when there will be cassava mills for the manufacture | of starch, glucose and other products of the plant as there are today in Florida
 While the five acre field of cassava is | the distInct reature or the ruIey
 Model Farm Dr. Foley and his manager John C. Lehr are almost equally proud
 of land upon which they raised during ! the present year three differfent crops They point with especially pride to two
 acres from which they gathered from the first crop enough potatoes to sell 1 for $211.44. The land was then planted | in cow peas for the production of COW pea hay. It is said to have produced nearly two tons of this hay to the aero. One of the two acres was then planted again in Irish potatoes and the other was planted in sweet potatoes. A generous crop of each was grown Just | how much the last crop will amount to can not be estimated as both the Irish and the sweet potatoes are still in the ground and are being dug as they are needed for sale or use.
 The productiveness of these two acres, the three crops that they have grown in one year to form the proudest boast of the Modern Farm owners.