84 PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE 



poorer soil than bitter maniok, but in such places it 

 produces less starch. 



Conditions of Growth. Maniok needs frequent showers 

 during the first two months of its growth, but after this 

 time endures dry weather well. However, if the air is 

 very dry, the crop is coarse. Its soil should be deep, 

 rich, fine, and loose. Good forest soil is of this kind, 

 and in the Straits Settlements maniok is cultivated by 

 the caingin system (see page 30). 



Maniok exhausts the soil so rapidly that after it has 

 been grown only three years on the same soil the crops 

 become considerably smaller. The food which it takes 

 from the soil in great quantities is nitrogen. Therefore, 

 in order to obtain good crops year after year it is neces- 

 sary to use green manures. A rotation of crops, in 

 which peanuts, or mungos, are planted instead of maniok 

 every third year, will keep the soil fertile for a long time. 

 The fertility will be still better retained if lime is put on 

 the soil before the legumes are planted. 



Planting and Cultivation. Maniok is practically seed- 

 less, and is propagated by putting pieces of the stems in 

 the ground. Each of these pieces must contain at least 

 one node, from which the young plant will grow. On 

 good ground they should be planted in rows i meter 

 apart, being placed 80 cm apart in each row. The 

 ground should be cultivated well during the first two 

 months. After that time the maniok will keep the 

 weeds down ; but some later cultivation will improve the 

 crop. 



