STARCH PLANTS 85 



Some short-lived crop, such as mungo or maize, may 

 be planted between the plants of maniok; this will mature 

 and be removed before the maniok is full-grown. Maniok 

 will produce some roots on poor ground, and without any 

 cultivation; but it is of course not a prolific crop if 

 treated in this \vay. The green branches of the plant 

 should never be cut off; but if flowers begin to grow, they 

 should be removed. 



How the Starch is Secured. The crop is ready to har- 

 vest when the roots are fullest of starch. If it is well cul- 

 tivated, this should be in 9 to 14 months. After that 

 time the starch begins to decrease. The roots can be 



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cooked and eaten, if desired, like yams or sweet potatoes. 



If they are to be used as a source of starch, the roots 

 must be very thoroughly washed, and then peeled. 

 When clean and white, they are scraped or ground into 

 a fine pulp. 'Clean water should then be used to wash 

 the starch out of this pulp, and into tanks, leaving the 

 fibrous part behind. The starch is so fine that it will 

 run through fine cloth ; so if the ground roots are 

 washed across a tank or trough with a cloth top, the 

 water and starch fall through the cloth, but the fibers 

 wash away. After the starch settles in the tanks, the 

 water is run off. The starch is washed until perfectly 

 white, and then dried. No dust must be allowed to 

 fall on it, for only pure white starch sells at a good price. 



A very cheap machine for scraping the roots into pulp 

 can be made by filling a sheet of sheet-iron with nail holes, 

 the nail alwavs being driven through in the same direction. 



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