Lbs. 



Per 



Cent. 



286 







77-5 



= 



27 



83 



= 



29 



215 



= 



7-5 



203 



= 



71 



50 



— 



195 



18-7 



= 



6.5 



208-5 



= 



73 



17 



a four years period. Thus planted the yield will be a steadily 

 increasing one, and the plants will not show any deterioration. 



From repeated experimental washings, I have deduced the 

 following average proceeds from 1,000 freshly cut 6 feet stems 



Weight 



As cut ... 



When dried 



Fresh peel 



Dry peel 



Fresh wood 



Dry wood 



Clean diy fibre 



Water 



If larger stems, from 7 to 8 feet, be taken, the average is 

 less in the weight of peel, but in the outturn of clean fibre it is 

 slightly greater. With small stems, from 3 to 4 feet, the per- 

 centage of peel is markedly greater, but the return of fibre is 

 barely 35 per cent. Moreover the extra labour in cutting, 

 peeling, and cleaning these small stems is an important con- 

 sideration. 



The ^crop cut during the rainy season will always contain a 

 large percentage of water, and that of clean fibre be formed 

 rather less, the fibre being also softer than at other periods of 

 cutting. This I consider due to the fact that at this period 

 the resinous matter in the plant is in a more diluted state, and 

 consequently a greater portion of it is removed during the pro- 

 cess of washing and scraping the peel 



I have already expressd my opinion against the use of either 

 immature or small stems as likely to give a result inferior both 

 in quality and quantity. Yet I am fully satisfied as to the 

 advisability of not only sorting the crop, as cut, according to 

 length of stem when necessary, but! would further recommend 

 that the peel from all stems of five feet and upwards should 

 be divided into two, and the fibre from the upper and lower 

 portions kept distinct. If cultivated as I suggest, the differ- 

 ence in length of the stems at each cutting will be found very 

 small, the monsoon crop always giving the longest stems. 



########### 



In earlier estimates, calculating on closely planted crops, and 

 stems four to five feet, I was cautious to restrict my estimate to 

 7501bs. per acre, but five years additional experience has shown 

 me that with proper open cultivation l,0001bs. per acre may be 

 fully assured. 



Maiiihot utilissima — "Cassava." — -In my Report for 1892, 

 page 13, I alluded to this plant, and gave an extract from the 



