STAECH-PRODUCi:>G PLANTS. 



343 



may be prepared by sprinkling it vritb as much cold water as to 

 moisten it to the proper point, and then proceeding as above. Hot 

 water cannot be employed, neither can kneading, or any conside- 

 rable degree of compression be used, otherwise the water does not 

 evaporate readily enough ; the starch gets too much altered by the 

 heat, and the cake becoDies tough. 



If an acre of well-tilled thorough-drained land yield 10 tons of 

 fresh roots, and I have every reason to believe that such a return, 

 might be obtained, I have ascertained that the produce would be 

 3 J tons of meal, 598 lbs, of casareep, and 2 cwt. of starch ; and 

 estimating the meal at Id. per lb., the casareep at Is. 5d. per lb., 

 and the starch at 40s. per cwt., the gross amount would be £78 

 133. 4d. per acre. In ascertaining these proportions, very simple 

 machinery was employed, and had the pulp been better pressed 

 the quantity of casareep would have been considerably greater. 



From the table given in a former note it will be seen that the 

 cassava meal prepared in this way contains but a very small pro- 

 portion of matter nutritive in the sense of contributing to the 

 formation of blood, and that the expressed juice carries off fully 

 one-half of the proteine compounds contained in the plant, 



Lichenin is a variety of starch occurring in Cetraria ulandica, 

 or Iceland moss. 



Indian corn starch. — The advance of science has recently brought 

 to our knowledge the preparation and use of another article, not 

 only important as food, but also essential in the arts. I have had 

 occasion to mention the high value of the Indian corn, and I might 

 with advantage allude to many of its uses avA properties ; at pre- 

 sent I must confine my remarks to a prodi^ct from this valuable 

 grain, known as corn starch, and yet another as the fecula of maize. 

 In the close of 1849, Mr. Willard and his associates, of Auburn, 

 established extensive works at Oswego, for the preparation of 

 these important products, their establishment covering an area of 

 49,000 square feet. As the proprietors have to some extent held 

 unrevealed the process by which they produce a starch more pure 

 than the starch of commerce, we may not indulge in speculative 

 curiosity ; yet I can hardly doubt their great success is mainly at- 

 tributable to perfect machinery, guided by science and talent. The 

 rapid and extended demand for these new products presents suf- 

 ficient evidence of their character, as we are told that about three 

 millions of pounds of this corn starch are demanded annually by 

 tlie trade, notwithstanding the usual supply of wheat starch is 

 undiminished. A remarkable feature of maize starch is the absence 

 of impurities ; upon being subjected to analysis, it is found 

 that only 2 76-100 parts in 1000 are of other matter than pure 

 starch. According to Dr. Ure, wheat yields only 35 to 40 per cent, 

 of good starch, a material extensively used in arts and manu- 

 factures. 



In addition to starch, the Oswego starch-factory produces from 

 Indian corn a fecula, peculiarly adapted to culinary purposes, pre- 

 senting to our domestic economy one of the most acceptable, pure, 



