394 
The  Manihots. 
/  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I       Aug.,  1891. 
Cultivation  of  the  Mandioca. — It  was  formerly  planted  by  cutting 
the  stalk  in  pieces  after  the  manner  of  sugar  cane,  each  node  being 
planted  about  6  inches  deep  and  covered  with  earth,  but  nowadays 
in  some  parts  the  soil  is  ploughed.  The  natives  say  the  old  manner 
of  planting  yielded  better  results.  The  plant  flourishes  best  in  dry 
and  sandy  soil,  exposed  to  the  sun,  and  is  not  injured  by  storms  or 
rains ;  the  leaves  may  be  affected,  but  not  the  roots. 
The  mandioca  is  planted  in  the  months  of  March  and  September 
(these  being  the  months  for  planting  all  roots  and  grains) ;  it  takes 
from  1 8  months  to  2  years  before  it  is  ready  for  use,  and  3  years 
before  it  is  mature.  It  may  remain  in  the  ground  for  five  years, 
after  which  length  of  time  it  becomes  hard  and  woody.  It  belongs 
to  the  richest  of  starch  producers,  and  from  a  given  space  of  ground 
will  yield  six  (6)  times  as  much  flour  as  any  other  amylaceous 
plant. 
Manufacture  of  "Farinha."- — The  root  is  scraped,  washed  and 
grated  and  then  put  into  baskets  called  tipiti,  which  are  made  from 
a  vine  called  sepoy  ;  the  poisonous  juice  is  expressed  and  collected 
in  troughs  where  it  is  allowed  to  stand  for  some  time  with  the  water 
used  for  washing  the  pulp,  the  liquid  is  poured  off,  and  the  sedi- 
ment, which  is  a  white  fecula,  is  dried  ;  it  is  called  tapioca. 
After  taking  the  pulp  from  the  press  out  of  the  basket,  it  is  sifted 
and  graded  according  to  fineness,  and  afterward  roasted  or  torrefied, 
whereby  it  is  deprived  of  the  poisonous  properties,  and  assumes  a 
granular  appearance. 
Farinha  is  also  made  by  another  process  ;  the  root  is  placed  in  a 
large  basket  made  of  pliable  bamboo,  immersed  in  a  stream  of 
running  water,  and  allowed  to  remain  there  for  seven  or  nine  days 
the  root  is  then  soft,  is  pounded  in  a  wooden  mortar,  sifted  and 
torrefied  as  above;  this  flour  is  called  "farinha  puba" 
The  furnace  for  making  the  farinha  is  built  of  clay  or  some  dry 
bricks,  and  has  a  large  deep  circular  copper  pan,  where  the  flour  is 
put  to  bake,  stirred  and  tossed  with  paddles  until  it  is  thoroughly  dry. 
Quite  a  variety  of  cakes  are  made  out  of  the  farinha  while  it  is  yet 
damp. 
The  "Beyou,"  much  appreciated  by  the  natives,  is  made  by  taking 
a  handful  of  the  farinha  and  placing  it  in  little  portions  all  over  a 
hot  pan,  after  which,  beginning  with  the  first,  these  portions  are 
flattened,  thinned,  then  rolled  up  into  numerous  fancy  shapes.  They 
