[ 473 1 



cing got over by 8 A. M., the sliced roots left in the soaking 

 tub from 8 to 9 A. M., the pulping got over by 10 A. M,, and 

 extraction of the farina by midday, all the afternoon will 

 be available for the pressed pulp to get dry. As the manu- 

 facturing should be done at the driest season of the year, 

 viz. February to April, there should be no difficulty in 

 getting the pulp thorougly dry and ready for grinding by 

 5 or 6 P.M. At Sibpur, the grinding was done with an 

 ordinary hand stone-mill and the flour was afterwards 

 separated out with an ordinary hand-sieve. The resulting 

 Hour was beautifully white and sweet and it kept sweet for 

 more than a year. 



755. The farina or starch which settles down at the 

 bottom of the troughs is collected quite easily by pouring out 

 the water from them. The starch occurring in a compact and 

 heavy mass does not flow out. The starch is allowed to settle 

 again, and the water then poured off with the water. A fresh 

 quantity of filtered water being poured out, the starch is ex- 

 posed to the sun and collected in a dry state. The moist starch 

 of some troughs may be converted into tapioca-meal or Brazi- 

 lian arrow-root by drying in the sun, as above, and of others 

 into tapioca. The tapioca-meal which is sold as ''Brazilian 

 arrow-root" in London, can be used as a substitute for ordinary 

 arrow-root or cornflour. 



756. The moist starch is simply exposed to the sun and 

 made into tapioca-meal. But to convert it into tapioca it is put 

 into a brass or aluminium pan in the moist state and heated 

 on a slow fire with constant stirring with a brass khunti. 

 As soon as the meal assumes the granular appearance of 

 tapioca it should be taken down from the fire and left to dry 

 more perfectly in the sun. 



757. These were the actual quantities obtained at Sibpur 

 out of nine Cassava plants : 220 Ibs, of crude roots, i49Jlbs. 

 of pressed but moist pulp, 33! Ibs. of Cassava flour, 5 J Ibs. of 

 tapioca-meal, and 6Jlbs. of tapioca, or a total quantity 45^ Ibs, 



HHH 



