598 FOE AGE PLANTS AND THEIR CULTURE 



bitter, the latter containing more or less hydrocyanic 

 acid in the roots and therefore poisonous. Under certain 

 favorable conditions of soil and climate it seems that all 

 cassavas tend to become sweet, and under unfavorable 

 conditions there is a tendency for them to become bitter. 



Cassava has been cultivated to a slight extent in Florida 

 for at least 50 years, primarily for the manufacture of 

 starch. It has also been employed to some extent to fur- 

 nish root forage for live stock. Cultivated in this way, 

 however, it is probably not as advantageous on the whole 

 as sweet potatoes. 



Cassava is commonly propagated by means of portions 

 of the roots or portions of the stems which are stored in 

 a dry place during winter and protected against damage 

 by frost. The plants can also be propagated by means 

 of seeds, but this results in great variation and besides the 

 plants will not make as large growth in the same time. 

 Seed canes are usually cut in pieces 4 to 8 inches in length 

 and planted after all danger of frost is over. They are 

 usually planted 4 feet apart each way. 



One great trouble with cassava is the difficulty, at 

 least under Florida conditions, of securing a perfect 

 stand, as many of the canes rot or otherwise become weak- 

 ened and do not produce plants. On this account the 

 yields are very variable, the maximum being perhaps 

 20 tons to the acre. 



The culture of cassava has never been very important 

 in the United States and has greatly decreased in the 

 last 20 years. 



