87 



management, and eight tons per acre is considered a usual yield., 

 The statement is made that where dry meal is made from the 

 roots for shipment to glucose factories in England, the Jamaica 

 growers receive a profit of from $34 to $44 per acre, and that 

 there is a profit of from $40 to $50 per acre where the fresh 

 roots are sold to starch factories, at $10 per ton. 



The average yield per acre in Florida is less than in Jamaica, 

 four to six tons, and the factory price of the roots is about the 

 same. Hawaiian conditions of soil and climate are more similar 

 to those of the West Indies than Florida. Our soils are richer 

 and the growing season continuous, so that the yields per acre 

 will average above those obtained in Florida. 



The size and capacity of a starch or glucose factory will 

 govern the cost of production. A factory capable of turning out 

 10,000 tons of starch per annum can be operated more cheaply 

 than ten factories of 1000 tons capacity. However, the size 

 of factories will depend on the areas that can be devoted to this 

 crop. 



The vield of starch per acre from cassava can be counted on 

 to average 50% greater than from corn. At an average yield of 

 five tons per acre, which is probably lower than the average in 

 Hawaii, the yield of starch would aniount to 2500 pounds. At 

 eight tons of roots per acre, the yield should be 4000 pounds. If 

 the fresh cassava roots are utilized in the manufacture of glucose 

 instead of starch, the product should be about 30% of the weight 

 of the roots, or 3000 pounds of glucose from five tons of roots, 

 or 4800 pounds from eight tons. The cost of glucose manufac- 

 ture is less than of starch manufacture, in that it requires a 

 smaller investment for buildings and plant. Commercially, glu- 

 cose is sold in barrels of about 600 pounds weight. Its average 

 value is about i cent less per pound than for raw sugar. San 

 Francisco prices from 1893 to 1905 have ranged from 2>^ to y/i 

 cents per pound. The lower price received for glucose and the 

 larger investmient required for the manufacture of starch make 

 the total value per acre about the same, whether the cassava roots 

 are converted either into glucose or starch. At 2^ cents per 

 pound for glucose and 3 cents per pound for starch, the product 

 from an acre of cassava would be worth about $75 for a five-ton 

 yield and about $120 for an eight-ton yield. Sulphuric acid, 

 which is used in the manufacture of glucose, is now being manu- 

 factured in Honolulu and can undoubtedly be figured at as low 

 a price as on the mainland. The third alternative would be to 

 mill the fresh roots without attempting to separate the starch, 

 dry the crude meal and ship it to the mainland markets for the 

 production of glucose there. The advantage of this would be 

 that very much less capital would be required than for the manu- 

 facture in Hawaii of either starch or glucose. 



The starch which is now being manufactured in Hawaii by 

 the crude Chinese methods, with very simple machinery, has not 



