'884 
SuppUment  to  the  Tropical  Agriculturist.' 
Cassnva  starch  is  considsred  a very  superior 
quality  of  starcli,  and  as  it  can  be  made  cheaply, 
it  should  prove  a suitable  occupation  for  the 
natives  of  this  country.  The  method  of  prepara- 
tion is  very  simple.  The  grated  Cassava  meal  is 
stirred  up  with  water,  and  then  passed  through 
sieves.  This  is  done  several  times  so  as  to  wash 
the  starch  clean,  and  the  mesh  of  the  sieves  is  de- 
creased in  size  after  each  working,  so  as  to  leave 
the  starch  free  from  any  foreign  substance.  After 
the  last  washing  the  water  is  allowed  to  remain 
for  a time,  when  the  starch  will  settle  at  the 
bottom  of  the  vessel.  The  clean  fluid  at  the  top  is 
then  drawn  off  or  decanted,  and  the  starch  is  dried 
in  the  sun. 
Another  preparation  from  manioc  is  what  is 
familiar  to  all  householders  ns  tapioca.  In  des- 
cribing the  preparation  of  Cassava  meal  it  will  be 
remepibei’ed  that  the  juice  had  to  be  forced  out  of 
the  rasped  roots  by  pressure.  Now  if  this  poison- 
ous juice  be  allowed  to  settle,  a considerable  quan- 
tity of  very  fine  starch  will  be  deposited.  The 
juice  is  poured  off  and  the  starch  i-  heated  on  tin 
plates  or  in  flat  iron  pans ; the  starch  grains  then 
swell  up  and  burst  and  become  agglutinnated  to- 
gether, thus  forming  the  tapioca  of  commerce, 
which  is  a large  export  from  Brazil.  The  starch 
grains  having  been  raptured  by  the  heat,  they  are 
partly  soluble  in  water,  and  for  this  reason  tapioca 
is  especially  valuable  as  food  in  cases  of  weak 
digestion, 
There  is  still  another  product  of  manioc,  and 
that  is  the  substance  known  as  Cassareep.  The 
poisonous  juice  of  the  tubers  of  the  bitter  variety 
of  Manioc,  and  which  is  invariably  thrown  away, 
is  convertible  into  this  substance  which  is  of  con- 
siderable value.  The  juice  is  simply  boiled  down 
until  it  becomes  of  the  consistence  and  appearance 
of  molasses.  In  this  condition  it  is  a powerful 
antiseptic,  and  it  is  capable  of  preserving  all 
kinds  of  meal  in  a fresh  condition  for  considerable 
periods.  It  is  the  basis  of  many  celebrated  sauces 
nnd  of  the  well-known  "pepper  pot’ of  the  West 
Indies.  Thus  by  reason  of  the  boiling  process  the 
poisonous  juice  is  convertible  into  a wholesome 
food  product,  for  which  there  is  usually  a ready 
sale  in  England  and  elsewhere.  As  the  juice  of 
the  bitter  Cassava  contains  so  much  of  poisonous 
prussic  acid,  the  greatest  care  must  be  taken  to 
keep  it  away  from  children  and  animals.  Many 
deaths  have  brought  about  by  carelessness  in  the 
disposal  of  the  juice,  so  that  too  great  precaution 
cannot  be  taken  to  prevent  accidents.  It  may  be 
mentioned  that  the  Indians  of  Guiana  use  the 
chillies  known  as  " red  pepper”  steeped  in  rum  as 
an  antidote  to  the  poison. 
NOTES  FROM  A TRAVELLER'S  DIARY. 
So  much  ht  g of  late  been  talked  about  and  written 
on  the  subject  of  agricultural  education  in 
this  island,  that  I think  it  the  duty  of  every  one, 
who  takes  any  interest  in  it,  and  who  knows  some- 
thing about  it,  to  express  his  views  clearly  on  the 
subject,  so  as  to  keep  the  public  well  informed  of 
pros  and  cons  of  tho  question. 
The  Agriculturist,  whether  planter  or  “goyiya,” 
to  direct  his  attention  to  the  soil,  and  it  is 
[June  1,  1897. 
necessary  for  him  to  know  what  is  its  natur;j 
fore  he  sets  to  work  to  cultivate  it.  It  is  not  my 
intention  to  write  a treatise  on  soil.^,  but  anybody 
who  is  acquainted  with  what  is  taught  about  soils 
in  text-books  on  Agriculture,  will  admit  that  all 
scientific  facts  regarding  them,  explained  in  as 
simple  a manner  as  possible,  will  be  of  immense 
benefit  and  interest  to  those  who  have  to  do 
with  the  soil. 
Again  as  Agriculture  is  the  art  of  cultivating  the 
soil  so  as  to  produce  crops  from  the  various  plants 
of  u.*e  to  man,  it  is  nece.ssary  for  the  cultivator  to 
have  a knowledge  of  all  that  concerns  the  life  of 
a plant.  Some  knowledge  of  Botany,  therefore, 
will  also  be  of  material  benefit  and  interest  to  him. 
And  so  with  other  subjects  allied  to  Agriculture, 
and  which  go  to  constitute  a complete  course  of 
study  ns  imparted  in  Agricultural  Schools  and 
Colleges. 
Propagation  of  plants;  climate  ns  affecting  the 
growth  of  various  crops,  manures,  rotation  of 
crops,  drainage,  irrigation,  tillage  operation.', 
pruning,  budding  and  grafting,  treatment  of  cattle 
in  healtii  and  disease.  &c.,  are  subjects  about 
which  the  Agriculturist  ought  to  know  something. 
A knowledge  of  all  these  will  at  least  e.iable  him 
to  go  about  with  his  eyes  open,  while  the  influence 
that  he  could  exercise  ( n the  people  among  whom 
he  moves,  is  from  an  educational  point  of  view, 
incalculable. 
Perhaj)s  much  of  what  I have  said  so  far  may 
appear  to  be  out  of  place  in  dealing  with  the 
question  of  the  Agricultural  School  of  this  island, 
wliich  is  at  present  engaging  the  serious  attention 
of  Government.  So  much  ignorance,  however,  has 
recently  been  displayed  even  in  the  very  first 
principles  of  Agricultural  education  by  some  of 
the  leading  men  of  the  island,  in  whose  hands  the 
welfare  of  the  people  lies,  that  it  is  but  right  I 
think  that  the  ])ublic  should  be  given  an  idea  of 
the  kind  of  knowledge  which  is  imparted  under 
the  subject  of  Agriculture. 
The  present  agitation  for  the  “mending  or  end- 
ing” of  the  Colombo  School  of  Agriculture  origin- 
ated, as  we  all  know,  on  a motion  by  the  Hon.  the 
Tamil  Member  of  the  Legislative  Council,  in  which 
he  wanted  to  make  out  that  the  .\gricultural 
School  was  an  unqualified  failure,  and  that,  there- 
fore, it  should  be  done  away  with.  If  I remember 
right,  it  was  then  mentioned  that  “English  Agri- 
culture” was  of  no  use  to  this  island,  and  that  the 
natives  knew  more  about  the  cultivation  of  coco- 
nuts and  other  crops  than  Englishmen.  As  in- 
stances it  was  mentioned  that  an  Englishman  once 
ordered  his  coconut  trees  to  be  washed  with  soap 
and  water,  and  that  an  Agricultural  student  did 
not  know  the  distance  at  which  coconuts  should 
be  planted ! 
All  those  utterances  were  at  the  time  considered 
to  bo  ammsing  enough  and  merely  put  down  to 
ignorance  of  the  real  state  of  affairs.  M.itters,  how- 
ever, have  now  turned  serious,  an  1 from  all  that  1 
could  gather  there  are  many  o hers  who  are  adopt- 
ing the  ideas  of  the  Hon.  the  Tamil  Member,  and 
who  are  bent  upon  making  an  end  of  the  School  of 
