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nursery beds, closeiy planted, it would be premature to test them by 

 analysis. I may mention that cuttings of these have been successfully 

 forwarded to the Governments of Bombay, and the Punjab In this 

 connexion I make the following extract from a letter of mine to th* 

 Secretary of State for India a few years ago. 



"The disasters attendant upon widespread famine throughout vast 

 areas of India, a>eas absolutely dependent upon heavy rainfall f >r the 

 production of the great staple food, Rice and Millets, would be most 

 materially mitigated by the introduction of the food plunt I recom- 

 mend. In other words cassava is preeminently a drought resisting 

 culture requiring for the perfect development of the crop only from 14 

 to 16 inches of rain per annum as compared with from 50 to 60 inches 

 for Kice." 



The Liguanea plain is one of the most arid districts in the island, 

 and the scorching sea-breeze in the dry seasons intensifies the aridity. 

 Consequently there is little or no planting enterprise on this plain 



In the centre of the plain where I am experimenting with a few 

 acres of pineapples which withstand considerable drought, I have 

 planted about three acres of cassava, the common "sweet" and "bitter" 

 varieties. The October rainy season is the most propitious season for 

 cultural operations, for the rain as a rule begins in September and 

 continues in showers until December. Hence the best time to plant 

 cassava o > the plain would be anterior to the October season, say in 

 August. Subsequently the soil becomes completely saturated by 

 superabundant rain. Three months establishment of the plant under 

 such climatic conditions is ample for the plant, for the subsequent 

 three months of drought matures the crop. 



This initial experiment to d- termine the practicablity of growing 

 cassava on a commercial scale with minimum conditions of moisture 

 was unavoidably started late in the season, thus the cuttings were 

 planted in D» cember instead of August. Anyhow the result is in- 

 teresting, for it has proved the droughr resistant capacity of the plant. 

 The three acres were planted during the first two weeks of December. 

 The ground was moist. After the cuttings were planted we had 

 i early two inches of rain in that month. In January 2.28, February 

 a drizzle, March 2.20, April (to date) 2.42. In all 8.90. The rain- 

 fall thus stated I feel confident is sufficient to mature the crop in 

 about three months without further precipitation. 



Unfortunately only o»e acre of land was ploughed wherein the 

 cuttings were set. The other two acres were set in places dug with the 

 hoe only It is well to remember that when land is properly prepared 

 with ploughs and cultivators the humidity of the soil is conserved to 

 a remarkable extent. For instance in arid regions of America where 

 the rainfall is only 10 and 12 inches a year, by means of these 

 enlightened methods of cultivation splendid crops of wheat are 

 obtained. 



This experimental cassava growing has therefore been conducted 

 with a minimum quantity of moisiure. Henc-; as the plant is amen- 

 able to the most simple oultural requirements it can be grown on a 

 considerable scale on the Liguanea plain. In all probability it can be 

 dlanted twice a year, i.e., in March as well as in August. 



