21 



CASSAVA. 



Cassava is gradually taking the place of arrow root as 

 a food plant for the native Hawaiians; and it is also 

 being cultivated in increasing areas for the production 

 of starch and as feed for animals. In our Territory, it 

 grows as a perennial, if allowed to run wild, but is best 

 treated commercially as an annual crop. It thrives well 

 from sea level up to an altitude of 3,000 feet, except in 

 very wet climates. The cuttings are planted in Novem- 

 ber to February, in furrows two to four feet apart. The 

 soil is kept well cultivated and the roots are ready for 

 harvest in October or November. The yield of roots 

 ranges from five to ten tons per acre. From these roots 

 the yield of starch is somewhat greater than that from 

 corn. From five tons of roots, about 2,500 pounds of 

 starch can be obtained. For sometime there was difficulty 

 In finding a profitable market for cassava starch and 

 little encouragement was met with in this industry. At 

 present, however, the demand is active and the companies 

 which are producing cassava are much encouraged. There 

 is a good opening for the growth of cassava in this Terri- 

 tory for the production of tapioca, an industry which has, 

 thus far, not been taken up in Hawaii. In addition to 

 its uses for starch and tapioca, cassava is attracting more 

 and more attention as a stock feed. The ranches are 

 planting quite large areas of cassava as feed for hogs and 

 cattle. 



MATTING PLANTS. 



Experiments with matting plants have now been car- 

 ried on for two years, the species concerned being Chinese 

 matting sedge and Japanese matting rush. It has been 

 found that these plants thrive well in brackish or salt 

 marshes along the sea coast, and that the yield is quite 

 satisfactory. Chinese matting sedge, grown by the Ha- 

 waii Experiment Station, and sent to a manufacturing 

 company on the mainland, has been declared to be of good 

 quality; and valued at from $40.00 to $80.00 per ton. 

 When well established, an acre will produce from three 

 to four tons annually. The Japanese matting rush does 

 not require splitting for the use of the manufacturer, 

 but the Chinese matting sedge must be split before being 

 used. The chief difficulty at present, in the commercial 

 extension of this industry, is the lack of a suitable ma- 



