ARROW ROOT-ITS SOURCES AND CULTIVATION, ETC. 
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ARROW ROOT—ITS SOURCES AND CULTIVATION. 
The arrow root of commerce is a species of 
i'ecula, chiefly starch, obtained from the roots of the 
Maranta arundinacea, originally a native of South 
America, and is believed to be found indigenous at 
the present time in Florida, and in the vicinity of 
Vera Cruz. The same term is used, also, from a 
fecula prepared from the common potato, known by 
the name of “ British arrow root, 1 ’ as well as from 
the cassava plant, or Brazilian arrow root, ( Jathro- 
pha manihot ,) the “tapioca” of commerce, and 
from the Curcuma angustifolia, known under the 
name of “East*Indian arrow root.” The latter 
comes in the form of a white powder, somewhat 
resembling bi-carbonate of soda or Rochelle salts. 
When pressed between the fingers, it does not cre¬ 
pitate like the arrow root of the West Indies. 
The “true sago” of the shops is obtained from 
tuberous roots of a species of palm, (C 'yeas circi- 
nalis ,) and very nearly resembles in its composi¬ 
tion arrow root or potato starch. A similar sub¬ 
stance is also obtained from the wild sago, (Zarnia 
pumilo :,) of Florida, the “ coontia” of the Semi- 
noles, which signifies in their language “ bread 
plant.” It consists of a small shrub, very closely 
resembling the habitat of the real sago family, 
cycas. During the late Seminole war, many of 
the Indians and others were prevented from perish¬ 
ing with hunger by having recourse to the bread 
prepared from the large tuberous roots of this plant ; 
and it is stated that the negroes on several planta¬ 
tions, in Florida, save half their allowance by the 
use of this bread. 
Arrow-root Plant.—Fig. 74. 
The arrow-root plant, (Maranta arundinacea ,) 
is a perennial, having a thick, fleshy, creeping 
root, quite full of knots, and having many long, 
white fibres. Directly from the roots, arise numer¬ 
ous radical, spear-shaped leaves, six or seven inches 
long and three broad, which are smooth on the 
upper surface, somewhat hairy underneath, and 
stand upon slender petioles, or foot stalks. From 
among these leaves issue several erect, herbaceous 
stalks, about two feet in height, each dividing, as 
they ascend, into two or three smaller branches, 
which terminate by a loose bunch of small white 
flowers, standing upon peduncles nearly two inches 
long. At each joint of the culm, or stalk, is a leaf 
of the same shape as the radical ones, but smaller 
in size. The flowers are succeeded by three-cor¬ 
nered capsules, each of which encloses a hard, 
rough seed. 
The arrow-root plant requires a light, loamy, 
fertile soil of good depth. It is propagated by 
dividing the roots and planting them in drills from 
twelve to eighteen inches apart. The ground 
should occasionally be stirred and kept clear of 
weeds. When a year old, the roots are taken out 
of the ground, well washed, and either grated, or 
beaten into a pulp in mortars of wood. In this 
state, the pulp is put into clear water and intimately 
mixed with the fluid by stirring. The farinaceous 
parts are thus washed off into the water, w T hiie the 
fibrous portions are separated, collected together, 
and deprived of their moisture by squeezing, and 
then thrown aside. The white, turbid fluid, which 
remains, after being strained through a hair seive, 
in order to free it entirely from all fibrous particles, 
is left to subside. The supernatant liquor is then 
drawn off, leaving the starchy matter at the bottom, 
in the form of a paste. Fresh water is again added 
to the mass, and the mixture left to settle, after 
which, the upper portion of the fluid is drawn off 
as before. Whenever a very fine article is desired, 
this operation is repeated for the third time. 
When thus prepared, the paste is exposed on boards 
or cloths to the rays of the sun, and there left until 
thoroughly dry. It is then put up in boxes or 
casks and is ready for sale or use. 
The principal, part of the arrow root of commerce 
is grown at Bermuda, the Bahama Islands, St. Vin¬ 
cent, Jamaica, and St. Kitts. How far its cultiva¬ 
tion may be rendered profitable in the southern 
states of the Union, experiment alone can deter¬ 
mine. It certainly is worthy of trial. 
GRAFTING—FRUIT CULTURE IN MISSISSIPPI. 
I send you the following plan for grafting fruit 
trees, which I consider the best I ever heard of. I 
learned it of the Rev. A. B. Lawrence, now of 
Liberty, Miss. It is very easy as well as simple, 
and can be performed at any time that the bark will 
separate easily from the wood. I have known trees 
grafted in October. 
In the first place, you are to have a parcel of 
young trees for stocks, about the size of the finger ; 
then procure the grafts of bearing trees, of the 
present year’s growth of wood. The terminal 
buds, or ends of the limbs, that have ceased growing, 
in length, are the best; but those that have double 
buds are good. If you have to carry them any 
distance, w r rap them in wet paper and keep them 
moist until grafted. Cut the limb containing the 
buds three or four inches long; then, with a sharp 
knife, slope the end of the graft on one side ; make 
a cut on the stock in the shape of the letter T; 
raise the bark, and stick the graft in between the 
bark and wood ; apply a little tallow and beeswax 
to keep out water and air; wrap it with a strip 
of cloth or bark, and if done well, three fourths of 
them will grow finely. In three or four weeks, you 
