80 POPULAR ECONOMIC BOTANY. 



plant. Instead of washing the starch from the pulp/ the 

 pulp is dried upon hot metal plates, and afterwards roughly 

 powdered ; this rough powder, according to its fineness, is 

 called by the various names above mentioned. It is much 

 used in the Brazils to make flat thin cakes, like the oaten 

 cakes of Scotland, which are known as Cassava bread ; very 

 large quantities of this preparation (Mandioca flour) are 

 imported and sent to the manufactories, to serve as a sub- 

 stitute for common starch. The Portuguese name Farinha 

 is also often used in commerce to designate the varieties of 

 Mandioca meal. 



Tous les Mois. — The produce of an unknown species 

 of Canna (Nat. Ord. Marantacea) ; it is usually said to be 

 produced by Canna coccinea, from the rhizomes or under- 

 ground stems ; but the real species cannot be named with 

 certainty, and its true history must remain to be determined 

 by future investigation. Many of the useful products of 

 the vegetable kingdom are enveloped in the same uncer- 

 tainty regarding their origin. 



Tous les Mois is very much like a fine quality of arrow- 

 root ; it is however very distinct when examined microsco- 

 pically, the particles being larger than those of any other 

 known fecula. It all comes from the island of St. Kitt's, 



