Abstract

The cultivation of tapioca is of importance at the pre- sent juncture, when the problem of food production is acute. Next to rice it is one of the staple food crops of the Travancore State and has largely contributed to the food supply there, specially among the poor. In the Presidency of Madras, its cultivation is chiefly concentrated on the West Coast and in the district of Vizagapatam, where it forms a cheap food of the poor class. It is also cultivated in parts of Chingleput, South Arcot, North Arcot and Tanjore districts. It possesses certain commendable features. "The plant is one of the most productive in the world and it has been claimed that an acre of cessava will yield more nutritive matter than six times the same area under wheat". Economically it is a paying crop and added to it the attention required for its cultivation is almost negligible. The green tops of certain varieties serve as fodder for the cattle. Tapioca (Manihot utilissima) belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae and is a native of tropical America. It is a shrubby perennial growing to a height of 6 ft. to 8 it. but an annual under cultivation. The crop is propa- gated by stem-cuttings which produce adventitious roots; these develop into tubers, enriched with starch, with the advance of age.

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