Evening star., 1924-03-24
Describes Cassava Flour.
Writer Says Plant One of Most
Valuable to Commerce.

To the Editor Of TIE Star.
Away back, when our Agricultural
Department had not yet naterialized,
with the development Of New Amster-
dam and other things in the colonies
on this side of the Atlantic. the Dutch
and British we're carrying on" in
Java to the good old tune OF capt
Jinks of the Horse Marines" That
good, old song relates how the cap
,, tain led his horse on corn and
beans" Now, thereby hangs a tale.
Probably as early as the sixteenth
century Dutch sailing vessels pene-
trated what is now known as the
Dutch East Indies. trading with the
natives, and, fortune favoring them,
returning after a few years with a
| rich cargo and a store OF knovley3sre.
Dutch ships do not ply the Indian
ocean now in search of a cargo, nor
90 they visit the Straits Settlements
| IN search of knowledge. They carry
"a one hnowied9e with them and find a
when once trading was done under
cover of the ships guns-a swash-
puckling captain giving orders to a
no,iey crew of white, brown, yellow
mnnna anu mha,rhot. AT evil-eyed, treacherons
=. treat plantations, big buildings,
steam, electricity and all modern
methods have made possible the de-
t.seIopment or trade in keeping with
'hs methods of world civilization.
wary years ago. when the writer
was nrst introduced to cassava -four,
IL seemed strange and UNUSUAL that a
product used so much in this country
snould come from far-away Java and
The cassaya manihot utiI,ssima is
| a SHRUB, so-called, and under culti-
Vation reaches a height of six to
elght rect. Left to grow rank with
age' als' II VIII go greatly beyond this
white and rose-colored in some sne-
cles, while in others the colors range
~ spreading clusters from greenish
purple TO light greenish yellow
might interest you to go to the
Bontanic Garden in Washington and
see specimen of this plant. From it
tapioca is made.
The roots, which are the only val
uabie portions of the plant, grow in
/ pounds.
cassava was known in Florida sixty
years ago, and during the civil war
was used for making starch in small
I quantities. Cassava starch did not
become an article OF trade until 1896.
| cuba and South America ship large
! quantities OF cassava -four and starch
! to US: Our own small crop is used
/ for stock feed. All kinds of stock
eat II. 1t IL, in fact, good for man and
beast, but as an article of food for
( man II must be treated first by being
! scraped, Gried and baked. The fresh
roots contain prussic acid (hydrocy-
! eliminates this.
/ In the past year 10000, 600 bushels
( OF corn was used in the manufacture
OF starch, bqt. our demands are SO
great that other products must be
utilized TO obtain this important
! product. The latest available figures
| show that in 1920 we imported 49,
| !t6,2ds pounds of cassava, valued al
| Dextrine, cassava product, enters
into trade all about US. In the art of
making paper dextrine is used to OBJ
! tain gloss and certain desirable
tints, glazing of cardsI also for gum
! ming envelopes, postage and revenue
stamps. 1t is also used in the manu-
I facture of certain inks and pastel
work. From dextrine printers roll
! ers are made, chain dressing for
! weavers. lip glue, solid bandages to
/ be used in dressings for fracture
1t makes an excellent court plaster.
/ Leiogumme. a starch product made
from this plant, is used in the calico
mills in the New England states in
! the treatment of cloth before print
{ ting. without II this printing could
not be done.
| From SO to As per cent dextrine can
be baked with the bread without its
being noticeable. Keeps well and adds
Ito the flavor. Dextrine is made from
the flour is called dextrine
I Pearl tapioca is made from cassava
and is faiso made from wheat This
lis a starch product and is quite deli
tcious.
The writer quotes from Bulletin No:
F3, Manila Merchants Association,
Manila, Man Ia. T; l.. the ,, following: In
[ ported to EUROPE and the United
! States 1882 tons OF tapioca products
valued at sI.s63,5eS. There is hardly
a barrio in the Philippines that has
not a few of these plants (manihoD
great Plantations in far-away Java
and elsewhere, this woody shrub, SO
valuable, is a native of Brazil. ac-
cording to Mr.. s. NJ Tracy, agrono-
mist, Department of Agriculture.
! On the big estates it grows as an
{ intermediate crop with coffee, rubber,
! cocoa and fber-bearing plants, Incl
; dentally, fnanihot utilissima belongs
! to the euphorbiaceae family and Is
| therefore closely related to the rub
Der tree, manihot glaziovii. a wonder
/ full plant. of which the writer has but
| briefly written.
Due to its starch value and low
! cost cassava -four paste is used ali
F; of paper boxes, principally in the op-
| era tipn of covering the boxes will,
glazed paper and the ornamental
strips of gilt. Innings, fly leaf, etc, sc
common to ordinary. small, square
| boxes.
A fine grade of alcohol and a big
| yield per tonnage is produced by dis
! tillation of, the manihot, but II seems
| that the other products are most val
liable.
C.lucnsa is obtaiped IN ,ba axteut ri
! 40 per cent of the weight of the fresh
roots. and this product finds ready
| market.
| The trade value of cassava hour is
based on its white standard. 1t is
naturally not white, but of pinkish
hue. Bleaching with the aid of chem
| icals is .practiced in this case.
| Finally. there is not an article on
our list of imports that we brush into
| SO constantly as we do with this won
/ derful plant. the products of which
| the writer has but briefly written a,
| this time. FRANK McCARROW.