270  PREPAEATION  OF  STARCH  FROM  CASSAVA. 
ON  THE  PREPARATION  OF  STARCH  FROM  CASSAVA, 
By  Josias  Cork. 
The  growth  of  cassava  in  quantity  has  had  my  best,  my  most 
earnest  consideration.  If  it  cannot,  in  every  sense  of  the  word, 
compete  with  other  staples,  now,  or  which  may  be  grown,  my 
praise  of  the  root  must  receive  qualification. 
First,  then,  cassava  is  alike  at  home  in  the  mountains,  and  in 
the  lowlands  ;  it  grows  readily  everywhere.  The  least  moisture 
in  the  soil  is  sufficient  to  induce  vegetation  at  the  time  of  plant- 
ing, and,  once  growing,  no  drought  destroys,  it  simply  for  the 
time  retards  the  crop. 
But,  if  general  experience  does  not  fully  corroborate  this  posi- 
tive statemenc, — and  there  are  lands  of  so  dry  a  nature  that  a 
long  drought  does  kill  the  cassava  plant,  and  I  will  not  say  there 
may  not  be  such  lands  anywhere,  as  I  can  only  decisively  speak 
of  what  I  have  noted  in  my  ovm  experience,— still  this  evil,  if 
it  anywhere  exists,  is  less  in  the  cassava  than  in  any  other  crop 
I  know. 
For,  secondly,  the  propagation,  and,  therefore,  also,  the  sup- 
ply of  a  field  partially  injured  by  a  drought,  is  about  the  easiest 
thing  a  planter  has  to  do.  To  grow  corn,  pulse,  yams,  and  many 
other  things,  a  portion  of  valuable  produce  must  be  used  for  seed. 
Not  so  the  cassava.  All  that  is  needed  is,  to  take  a  cassava 
stick,  and  mark  off  a  length  containing  three  or  four  eyes ;" 
pass  a  knife  round  and  cut  just  below  the  skin,  and  then  use  a 
slight  breaking  power  with  both  hands.  Each  bit  is  now  a 
future  plant ;  the  eye  or  two  below  the  soil  serve  for  future  roots  ; 
the  eye  or  eyes  above  put  forth  leaves  and  stalks.  It  must 
be  evident,  then,  that  a  bundle  of  cassava  sticks,  which  any  one 
can  carry  under  his  arm,  will  suffice  for  a  considerable  breadth 
of  prepared  ground,  and  the  time  and  labor  to  cut  up  and  plant 
is  almost  the  least  possible  to  be  conceived  for  such  operations, 
and  the  cost  is  positively  nothing.  Anybody,  anywhere,  who 
has  cassava  growing,  can  give  readily  a  few  cassava  sticks  to 
any  body  and  everybody,  and  yet  have  enough  left  for  himself, 
and  to  spare. 
Thirdly. — Another  fine  feature  is  this  : — It  is  not  an  exhaust- 
ing crop.    Like  other  productions  grown  for  a  substance  which 
