1 Ava., 1901.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL, 223 
at 3,440,000 tons against Mr. Licht’s estimate of 2,850,000 tons, a difference 
between these prominent statisticians of 590,000 tons. Messrs, Willett and 
Gray estimate above the figures of Mr. Licht about as follows :— 
Tons. Tons. 
Java ah. afer os 40,000 | Porto Rico... : 15,000 
Cuba wi . 100,000 | Trinidad... or ox 5,000 
Mauritius ... 0 a 30,000 | Barbados ... 2 a 30,000 
Brazil es onc ar 28,000 | Martinique er wes 5,000 
Demerara ... on) x0 15,000 | Guadeloupe ee nes 5,000 
Egypt ae oe ae 29,000 | Réunion _... i 20 5,000 
Mr. Licht does not consider Mexico, estimated at 93,000 tons by Messrs. 
Willett and Gray, nor Argentina, estimated by them also at 70,000 tons. 
[Mr. Licht appears also to have ignored the sugar production of Queens- 
land and New South Wales in his estimate of the cane sugar crop of the world. 
The former State produced in 1900, 92,554; whilst New South Wales in 1899 
(figures for 1900 not yet available), 15,352 tons.—Ed. Q. A. J] 
On the other hand, Messrs. Willett and Gray make lesser estimates as 
follows :— 
Tons. Tons. 
Louisiana tx ... 70,000 Peru ood ... 15,000 
Hawaii BES OU0 Philippines .-- 20,000 
Anyway, it is apparent that the sugar supply will be quite large, butas 
¢he demand is constantly increasing it is fair to inter that there will be no serious 
accumulation in the markets of the world. 
CASSAVA. 
We have had many inquiries since we wrote on the cultivation of cassava 
as to its commercial value, and with reference to the method of cultivation. 
Cassava is sometimes called Brazilian arrowroot. It resembles arrowroot in 
one respect, so far as manufacture is concerned, in that tubers are rasped, and 
the starch precipitated as in the case of arrowroot.—There are two species of 
the plant (which is one of the Euphorbiaciw)—viz., the Bitter Cassava, Manihot 
utilissima, and the sweet, M. Azpi. Both furnish highly nutritious food 
starches. The bitter contains a poisonous element, hydrocyanic acid (prussic 
acid), and, as a consequence, cannot be eaten in a fresh state, whilst the sweet 
variety may be used as a table vegetable without any preparation. The poison 
of the bitter variety is, however, rendered volatile by heat, after the application. 
of which the juice may be safely used as the basis of cassareep and other 
sauces. In Brazil great use is made of the bitter cassava. The dried roots are 
rasped, and a kind of flour results, from which cassava cakes are made. 
The plant is easily cultivated and finds a congenial home in Queensland, 
When the land intended for cassava is well broken up and reduced to a good 
tilth, the rows are laid off much in the same manner as for sugar-cane, but only 
4, feet apart. The sets consist of portion of the stalk cut into pieces about 
6 inches long. Four inches is a better length, because the roots springing from 
the cut ends are those which produce the tubers. Like all other such crops, 
they must be kept clean. There is no need for deep cultivation, indeed, 
shallow work is the best. A very fair profit may be made by growing cassava, 
as is shown by the Florida Agriculturist. That journal, quoting from the 
Leesburg Commercial, says— 
While there is no great big money in growing cassava, there can be a 
reasonable profit made in growing it, and it is not subject to be killed out by 
the frost like some crops, for it is planted after the first frosts are over, and 
matures before the frost comes again. 
P 
