24 



CASSAVA. 



It is generally believed that the common stock of cassava known as 

 the Florida Sweet is always sweet, and also that an}^ variety brought 

 into Florida will eventually become sweet. None of the common 

 Florida varieties examined has shown more than a small quantity of 

 h}^droc} T anic acid, and it appears therefore that the popular belief is 

 well founded. The general results of the work indicate that the 

 environment in Florida is such as to retard the chemical-physiological 

 action which produces the hydrocyanic acid. It may be shown later 

 that continued cultivation under such conditions will change the nature 

 of the plant in this respect. 



(STARCH AND MOISTURE. 



The starch percentages given in Table V for Miami and Biloxi 

 samples are not strictly comparable, as those from the latter station 

 were determined on selected portions of the tuber, while the analyses 

 of the Miami roots were made on samples taken from the total pulped 

 tubers representing the plant or plants. The Miami samples there- 

 fore would include much more of the cortical layer and small ends, 

 and would yield a lower percentage of starch than a selected portion. 

 The Miami samples represent more accurately the actual yields. In 

 Table VII is given the starch content of the Miami tubers in 1904, in 

 connection with the weight of the roots and the water. 



The weight as shown in the table is the weight of a cluster, not a 

 hill, the roots being grown in this way at the propagating station. A 

 cluster may comprise two or three hills that have united, or it may 

 include one hill from which tubers had been taken. The entire lot 

 of tubers indicated by the weight were pulped and sampled for mak- 

 ing the determinations reported. 



TABLE VII. Water and starch content of Miami tubers, 1904- 



"Weight of the ground tubers from which the sample was taken. 



In considering cassava as a source of starch the moisture is an impor- 

 tant factor, as the higher the water content the greater the tonnage, 



