34 
A Rick SmjsTiTrTE. 
OQemoQtsh a(rer the at amp itarts bndding ; 
this ii ref eited after two m out ha. When 
taplooft is ^even montba old, h covers the 
groiiQd and Hie Wfed^ are marred in their 
growth by the abady leavea of tbe robust 
Cnopa. 
The ttiber root! are genera I If found 2 or 
3 tofjether, somettnaea aix and even 
more^ bntf cue of theoa is atwaya oon^ptcQ* 
ouf for hi Btoafness anaoni;; the rest, The 
roots are rongh aud dark in appearaoco 
while the eeoood membrane ia jelEow or 
red. Tbe tabe>ri come to m<iitiritj in t-en' 
or fifteen months, every thing dependiag 
upon the DAt are of the toil and the rartety 
nnder oaltiTation ; hue as a fteneral rule, 
the lon^r the tubers are kept in the gronod 
after the ripening stage the poorer they 
beoome in meal. The harvestiog is a very 
simple ooe ; the stems are pulled up ^ery 
lightly and the roots are noeartbed. Il ie 
only when the soil is of clay that the 
gathenng ia of tbo crops may be more 
elaborate. The most propiHoas time for the 
work is at the close of the rainy season. As 
the tubers have a tendency to rot they 
ahonid not be left lying abonL for a toni; 
time. Soma planters are i'ven o! optniob 
that tapioca sbonld be made u^e of on tbe 
very day of harvesting, 
YiBLO Fbb Aobb, 
The nnmbpr of tapioca plants per acre 
rariea from 4,000 Do 5,000 independently 
of tbe method adopted. Ntvertbeleas these- 
indications are in no way absolnte and ex- 
pert planters draw their own conclnsioua 
after giving dne conaideration to the 
