Am.  Jour.  Pbarrn. 
May,  1895. 
Sweet  Cassava. 
265 
muck  land  on  the  station,  in  which  sugar  cane  would  not  grow  to 
any  advantage.  An  immense  development  of  tips  was  secured, 
some  of  the  plants  reaching  a  height  of  10  feet,  and  resembling 
young  trees.  The  root  development  was  fair,  but  not  commensu- 
rately  increased  with  the  top  growth. 
The  profits  which  the  farmer  may  make  from  growing  this  crop, 
and  the  manufacturer  from  using  it,  should  be  based  upon  a  yield  of 
4  or  5  tons  per  acre.  If  it  be  desired  to  make  starch  from  the 
plant,  we  may  suppose,  as  a  minimum  rate  of  yield,  that  20  per 
cent,  of  the  weight  of  the  fresh  root  may  be  obtained  as  a  merchant- 
able starch  of  a  high  grade.  On  a  yield  of  4  tons  per  acre,  this 
would  amount  to  1,600  pounds.  Compare  this  with  the  weight  of 
starch  obtained  from  Indian  corn  producing  40  bushels  per  acre. 
The  yield  of  merchantable  starch  of  a  high  grade  may  be  placed  35 
pounds  per  bushel,  which  for  40  bushels  would  amount  to  1,400 
pounds.  It  is  thus  seen  that  the  yield  per  acre  in  the  matter  of 
starch  from  cassava  would  be  fully  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  that 
from  Indian  corn.  If  the  manufacture  of  glucose  be  considered,  the 
estimate  is  even  more  favorable. 
CONCLUSIONS. 
(1)  Cassava  can  be  cultivated  with  safety  and  profit  in  the  greater 
part  of  the  peninsula  of  Florida,  and  probably  also  in  southern 
Alabama,  Mississippi,  Louisiana  and  Texas. 
(2)  It  will  yield,  with  fair  treatment,  on  sand  soils,  from  4  to  5 
tons  per  acre. 
(3)  It  will  give,  when  properly  manufactured,  from  20  to  25  per 
cent,  of  the  weight  of  the  fresh  root  in  starch  of  high  grade. 
(4)  The  starch  is  naturally  in  a  pure  state,  and  no  chemicals  of 
any  kind  are  necessary  in  its  manufacture. 
(5)  The  starch  resembles,  in  its  physical  properties,  that  of 
maize,  and  can  be  used  as  a  substitute  therefor  in  all  cases. 
(6)  An  excellent  article  of  tapioca  can  be  prepared  from  the 
starch  of  the  cassava  plant. 
(7)  Glucose  can  be  prepared  directly  from  the  starch,  or  more 
profitably  from  the  pulp  of  the  peeled  root. 
(8)  The  plant  furnishes  an  excellent  human  and  cattle  food, 
deficient,  however,  in  nitrogen.  It  would  make  a  well-balanced  ration 
for  cattle  when  mixed  with  one-fourth  its  weight  of  cotton-seed  oil- 
cake. 
