83 



Fortunately for this important culture it flourishes under a wide 

 range of climatic conditions under congenial conditions of soil, thus 

 with a rainfall of more than 100 inches a year. In the seasonable 

 parts of the island the conditions requisite for its most successful 

 cultivation are available to a vast extent. 



I have recently been in communication with several parties who 

 desire to embark upon this cultivation for the manufacture of starch 

 in Jamaica. In my report on pineapples and other products of 

 Florida, published by the Government, I commented upon the 

 establishment of this industry in Florida. Roots are only obtainable 

 in that State during one or two months of the year. I have pointed 

 out that supplies are producible in Jamaica throughout the year. To 

 ensure this, planting must be resorted to at least twice a year. A one 

 hundred acre field, for example would yield return in six months, but 

 the crop may advantageously remain growing until it is nine months 

 old. Thus between the 6th and 9th months supplies are forthcomiag. 

 Suceessional crops may thus be obtained to supply a manufactory all 

 the year round. The manufactory in Florida only works four months 

 a year. (A gentleman in Jamaica recently obtained 25 per cent, of 

 starch from roots nine months old.) It will be observed that two 

 .crops are obtainable here. This means moderately computed 20 tons 

 a year per acre. 



Cost of planting and growing 3 acres of cassava at Maryfield : — 



Ploughing 1 acre 



£1 











Digging holes, about 2 acres among young 



mango 







trees 



4 











Planting 3 acres 







18 







Weeding twice, about 



3 



12 







Purchase of cuttings for 3 acres ... 







14 







Another weeding before cropping 



2 













£12 



4 







The total cost of planting and growing will therefore amount to 

 about £4 per acre by the time the crop of tubers is matured My 

 estimate of the crop of tubers obtainable from the 3 acres is about 

 eight tons per acre — to be cropped in the course of a few months. 

 They are planted 4 feet apart (2,722 to the acre). The actual cost of 

 production would therefore be about ten shillings per ton. Digging 

 up the roots would cost about one shilling per ton more. It is in- 

 teresting to note that on examination several of our medium sized 

 plants, though only 3£ months old, had incipient tubers weighing from 

 3 to JHbs. each, and these contained 10 per cent, of starch. 



Subsequent plantations can be much more economically carried on, 

 for the hoe must be supplanted by ploughs and cultivators, thus tubers 

 may be produced at say five shillings per ton. Ten tons per acre 

 yield two tons of starch. The cost of manufacturing one ton of starch 

 is about £2. A ton of starch can therefore be produced at less than 

 £4. 



I make the following extracts from a United States Experimental 

 Station Report : — 



