37 

 JAMAICA CASSAVA. II. 



BY 



H. H. Cousins, M.A. (Oxon), F.C.S. 

 Government Analytical and Agricultural Chemist, 



In continuation of the study of local varieties of Cassava* the fol- 

 lowing results have since been obtained and are here placed on record. 



Manchester Cassavas. 



Four varieties of local reputation were submitted by J. T. Pa'ache 

 Esq., who grew them at his Experimental Grarden at Clover near 

 Mandeville. Three are bitter and one a sweet variety. The latter 

 gave the highest yield of Starc^i, It is notewnrthy that tlie cassavas 

 grown in the Manchester hills do not contain so much starch as the 

 varieties from Inverness and Hope Gardens grown at a lower eleva- 

 tion. 



These varieties support Carmody's rule as to the distribution of the 

 Hydrocyanic Acid between the cortex and the interior of the tubers 

 being distinctive of sweet and bitter cassavas 



The proportion is as follows : — 



Variety. 



1. "New Green"— Bitter 



2. " Mass Jack" 



3. "Blue Top" 



4. "Fustic" Sweet 



Cassavas from Prison Farm, Spanish Town. 



A representative collection of Creole varieties of cassava was being 

 grown by Mr. J. T. Palache at the Prison Farm for records of tonnage 

 and starch yields. 



The hurricane on August 11th, 1903, destroyed the plants and pre- 

 vented the completion of the rial. It was tli ought desirable, however, 

 to analyse the tubers producefl, although they were not ripe, as a guide 

 to the comparative maturation of the varieties. Luana bitter and 

 White Stick sweet came out well in this series. From the commercial 

 point of view the gross indicated yield of starch per acre must be 

 seriously qualified by the length of time that a variety requires to 

 attain such results. 



The results of " Fustic" as against " Brown Stick" in thisexper men 

 may have an important bearing on the comparative commercial ivalue 

 of the two varieties. 



We recommend " Fustic" Cassava to the attention of cassava 

 growers as a variety capable of very early maturity. 



* Bulletiu Vol. I. June and July, page 130. 



