BOTANY. 139 
exposed to the sun; consequently, the buyer is benefited 
_ by purchasing the stick at a later season, say February and 
March, for then he buys, as you will readily see, root, in- 
stead of shoot or skin; but, as the means of manufacturing 
it into starch is somewhat limited (there being only about 
three machines of any power on the islands), the manufac- 
turer has to begin early, and takes his chance of getting it 
with or without the skin or covering. 
“The root is grated by a machine, worked by horse 
power; it is afterwards washed, and passed through sieves, 
or cloths, ‘small by degrees, and beautifully less,’ till all the 
flour is taken from it. It formerly took some time to dry, 
and would, occasionally, get mouldy; but, latterly, by the 
assistance of the screw press, it is instantly freed from 
water, and a day’s drying in the sun renders the starch fit 
for use. There is less of it grown in Bermuda than ever, 
and, notwithstanding the price is much higher, and higher 
still it doubtless will be, it is not near so profitable as other 
things. It lies a whole year in the ground; potatoes only 
about a hundred, or a hundred and ten days, with much 
less trouble attendant on their culture, and a certain market 
in the United States.” 
That the Bermudian Arrow-root will, ere long, cease 
to be an important export from the Colony, is not to be 
doubted ; and, taking into consideration the present condi- 
tion and high price of labour, other products will be found 
a much more profitable speculation, and so cause “veal 
Bermudian Arrow-root” to rank in scarceness with “veal 
old East India Madeira.” 
In 1851, the value of the Arrow-root exported from the 
Bermudas, was £5,595 18s. 6d. 
