The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-12-16


lends itself better to the purposes of
the cotton cloth manufacturer than
does any other starch. Cassava starch
approaches most nearly to corn starch
in all its characteristics.
There is on an average about IS per
cent OF starch in a potato tuber, near
ly all of it recoverable In manufacture.
The average for corn runs from As to
6j per cent and about SO per cent can
be extracted. Cassava averages &c per
cent starch in the fresh root. The ex-
traction under old methods Of manu-
facture has ranged from Is to 20 per
cent improvements in method made
during last year make 1t possible to
save 25 pounds out OF the 26 present in
every 100 pounds of fresh root
An acre of potatoes yielding 100
bushels will produce about 100 pounds
OF starch. An acre OF corn yielding 40
bushels will give about 1900 pounds,
while an acre of cassava producing s
tons of roots will yield from 1000 to
2500 pounds of starch. These figures
of yields are in each case conservative.
Aside from the utilization of cassava
roots for the manufacture of starch the
Importance of this crop as a source Of
glucose is worthy of attention. The
fresh cassava roots contain in addition
to &c per cent starch an average of
per cent of cane sugar, Experiments
conducted on commercial scale have
shown that 1t is possible to get glucose
from the fresh roots to the amount of
30 per cent of their total weight.
Recent reports from the West Indies
give the cost of production of cassava
rs from $4,000 to $25. 90 per acre; yield
td 10 tons of roots: profits s25 to $50 per
acre. In Jamaica the roots are ground
and dried and the meal is shipped to
England to be manufactured into glu-
cose. The factories are said to pay
So to so per ton for the fresh roots
delivered at the mill. In Florida the
starch factories pay Sc to IS per ton
for the fresh roots. There are no glu-
cose factories in Florida The starch
mills recover only 20 pounds of starch
out of the possible rs in every hundred
pounds of root. but they save and dry
the waste. This starch waste has a
market value of from $40 to s12 per ton
and is said to be in growing demand
rida but throughout the Southern
States.
Planters in Jamaica are said to be we'll
satisfied with the profits to be derived
from this industry and are not only
rapidly increasing their acreage but
are investing much capital in starch
factories. The Florida factories are
making good profits in the manufac-
ture of starch, but the farmers who
have undertaken contracts to supply
the roots have been more or less dis
satisfied with the prices offered. I'M
in methods of manufac-
ture, methods of cultivation, improved
digging tools for harvesting the crop,
and especially the finding of q good
market for the factory wastes are all
working to give the contract grower
better prices for his crop.
Cassava is crop that can be grown
with little labor. Where grown on an
scale practically the only
hand labor required is that of plant
ing the canes and digging the roots
and already somewhat crude machin-
cry has been devised for both of these
operations. The land IS plowed rather
swallow $50 as to keep the roots of the
plant near the surface), furrowed and
cross-furrowed with rows four feet
apart. The canes or old stalks of the
plant are cut into joints from 4 to 8
Inches long and a man drops two joints
1t each check-row. The seed" is COW
cred with a hoe or Is plowed under. A
1isc-harrow Is run between the rows
Two or three times to loosen the soil, |
keep down weeds and give the plants
i good start. When the plants are two
'@et high there is no further cultlvd-
Ion. December and January are the /
Oest months to plant cassava in Ha- !
vail. The crcp is ready to harvest in I,
Frcm ten to twelve months. In Flo
ida a digger" of simple construction
Is in use. The cost Of digging is there
at $3.50 per ton. Digging |,
he roots has always been considered
he most expensive item of production
IN Hawaii 1t is possible that We are
behind the times in this regard. One
nan and team ought to care for 40
'r SO acres Of cassava except at plant
ng and harvesting time.
There are a good many points to be
worked out II cassava Is TO be grown
lere. These cannot be touched on In
/ paper OF this length
Starch is like sugar in that It takes
Utmost nothing from the soil. Hawaii !
iisposes of some thirty million dollars
worth OF sunshine. air and water in
he shape OF sugar every year. While
here may not be much water that is
lot required for the sugar crop 1t has
lways seemed to. me that there Is a
'ood deal of air and sunshine going
o waste for want OF some one to en-
oy and profit from them. Cassava
oes not require irrigation and makes
'ood crops with n fair amount of rain
ali. I have said nothing about its
value as forage plant. The
orage value of cassava Is well known.
ought to be more widely cultivated
" stockmen on that account alone.
There is, it seems to me an oppor-
unity here for the development of
roftable manufacturing industry.
here is room for starch factories In
good many localities in the islands
rovided there is a good supply of