STARCHY FOODS 151 



beast. It is in the manufacture of starch, however, that cas- 

 sava finds its chief importance. In making starch the tubers 

 are peeled and grated, the milky juice is expressed, the whole 

 grated mass is then washed and strained until the fiber is re- 

 moved, after which the starch is freed of other impurities by 

 repeated washings and dried in the sun or in earthen ovens. 

 Tapioca is made from cassava starch by heating the starch 

 gently on iron plates until it flocculates into the well known 

 tapioca granules. The United States imports of tapioca and 

 sago in 1914 amounted to a value of $1,640,000. The world's 

 supply of tapioca is derived largely from Brazil and the Straits 

 Settlements. As already indicated, cassava has been grown for 

 many years in Florida with success. Little attention, however, 

 was given to the crop in Florida as a source of starch and 

 tapioca. The roots are mostly used as a stock feed after 

 cooking. It has been found that tapioca roots may be used 

 with economy in fattening beef and pork. 



ARROWROOT 



The true arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea) is a native of 

 tropical America belonging to the same family with ginger. 

 The arrowroot is a perennial herb with large lanceolate leaves 

 and white root-stocks or rhizomes i to 2 feet in length and i to 

 2 inches in diameter. The plant is propagated by divisions 

 of the rhizomes in rows 3 feet apart and i foot apart in 

 the row. The tubers may be harvested about 8 to 12 months 

 from the time of planting. A good yield of arrowroot is 5 

 tons of tubers per acre. The tubers contain 25 per cent, 

 starch. The yield of prepared arrowroot per acre is about 

 1,500 pounds. Arrowroot starch may be obtained by grat- 

 ing, washing, and straining the tubers by the method used with 

 cassava. Like cassava, also, the plant seems to exhaust the 

 soil quickly, thus making necessary a system of rotation. 

 The best quality of arrowroot comes from Bermuda, but the 



