86 



dextrin it will on cooling slowly solidify into a granular concretionary 

 ma>s; but if much dextrin is present it remains in the condition of 

 a syrup. Starch sugar is very largely used by brewers and distillers, 

 and by liqueur makers, confectioners and others for making fruit and 

 other syrups. Burnt to caramel, it is also employed to col< ur bever- 

 ages and iood substances. As an adulterant it is largely employed in 

 the honey trade and for mixing with the more valuable cane sugar. 

 In 1885 there were about fifty factories in Germany engaged in stared 

 sugar making, in which 10,000 tons of hard sugar, 20,000 tons of 

 syrup, and 1,250 tons of ' colour' were made." 



Tapioca, an article of considerable importance is an exclusive product 

 of cassava. Alcohol, also, from cassava will rival that made in 

 Germany from potatoes. 



The following extracts from the aforementioned Florida Experiment 

 Station Report with regard to cassava for feeding animals is peculiarly 

 applicable to Jamaica, inasmuch as the quantity of salt pork imported 

 in the year ended March 31st, 1901, was no less than 9,458 barrels 

 valued at £29,321. 



"Corn which is the standard fattening food of the Western 

 Hemisphere and the material on which probably 95 per cent, of the 

 fat hogs of American markets are finished off preparatory to slaughter- 

 ing, makes but a poor showing as compared with cassava, though it 

 racks second in the list of foods tried, its percentage gain being 70 as 

 against 95.2 with cassava. The difference between the two rates of 

 gain 70 and 95.2, is 25.2 per cent, in favour of the cassava pigs. 

 The actual comparative gain, however, is considerably greater since 

 25 . 2 is J6 per cent, of 70, and therefore, the real difference in value 

 between these two foods is 36 per cent, in favour of the cassava. In 

 other words the experiment shows that pigs fed on cassava will make 

 36 per cent more meat during a given interval than if fed upon corn. 

 A different statement of the same fact is, that there is more than one 

 third more profit from the feeding of cassava than corn, in fattening 

 pigs, where the cost of producing the two foods is the same. When 

 it is borne in mind, however, that the actual cost of producing cassava, 

 food value for food value, is very much less than with corn, the 

 advantage of the former appears still greater, and there can be no 

 question of the place of cassava as a 'money crop/ The daily cost of 

 these tw r o foods as nearly as it can be estima ed was 0.75 of one cent 

 per day each for the cassava fed pigs, and 2.40 cents each for the corn 

 fed lot The total cost, therefore, of the amount of food consumed 

 during the 75 day period was $5.52 for the cassava pigs and $18. 07 

 for the corn fed lot. This amount divided by the gaiu in weight for 

 each lot shows that the actual cost per pound of the meat made from 

 the food consumed was 1.04 for the cassava and 3.06 cents for the 

 corn fed pigs. 



" The actual market value of the live pork and of corn at the time 

 the trial was in progress being known, have been used as a basis for 

 the calculatisn. As to the basis with cassava, however, no actual 

 market value then existed. Where starch factories have, however, 

 been established in the state $6 per ton is paid for the roots, and this 

 has, therefore, been adopted as the standard of value, although as a 

 matter of fact, our own experience shows that the crop can be grown and 



