Cassava, or Iatropha Mani-kot, L. a native shrub of South America, eminently deserving to be transplanted to our climate ; for it is asserted that one acre of its roots produces a quantity of food equal to that usually obtained from six acres of seed-corn. This shrub grows from four to seven feet high, is knotted, covered with an ash - coloured bark, and pithy within : its broad palmated leaves, together with its white and rose-coloured blossoms, render it a very beautiful plant. According to M. Brunklli, it may be propagated by seed, but more expeditiously by suckers; when these are planted in a deep, rich, and light soil, they Vegetate with surprizing luxuriance, and produce in the course of one year, a white, soft, and farinaceous root, from one to two feet in length, and from five to six inches in circumference.

The very extensive use of the cassava, as an article of food in South America, is a striking instance of human ingenuity successfully directed to prepare wholesome nutriment from such vegetables as, in their natural state, are very active poisons A mild, nutritious food is obtained from these roots in the following manner : Immediately after being gathered, they an- washed and stripped of their thick rind by means of a knife : the heart, a pulpy mass, either white or yellowish, is repeatedly passed between cylinders, and turned by mill-work, till all the juice is expressed. The dry pulp, being thus freed from the poisonous juice, is a compound of farina and vegetable fibre, and requires no farther preparation than to be thoroughly dried, over a very slow fire. In this state, it will keep for several months in close vessels ; and, when wanted, it may be formed into cakes, by kneading up with water, and baking it ; or into pottage, by boiling it with water, and a little Cayenne pepper. The pure farina is the tapioca of the shops : it is separated from the fibrous part, by taking a handful of the pulp, after the juice is extracted, and working it in the hand, till a thick white cream appears on the surface : this being scraped off and washed, in water, gradually subsides to the bottom, and after pouring off the liquor, the remaining moisture is dissipated oyer a slow fire, constantly stirring the farina, so that at length it concretes into grains, about the size of sago, which become hard by keeping. This is the purest and most nutritive part of the pulp, and forms a very wholesome and palatable food, which, if preserved in a dry plate, maybe kept for any length of time. By heaping together the cassava-cakes, till they begin to heat and become mouldy, and then infusing them in water, to induce a very rapid fermentation, the Indians prepare a very sharp and disagreeable, but intoxicating liquor, which will not keep longer than a day, without spoiling. Although this liquor, previous to distillation, has a sweet and mild taste, yet, when drunk in any quantity, it occasions excessive swelling of the body, convulsions, and death.—.

According to M. Brunelli, hogs, and some other animals, eagerly devour the fresh root, without the least injury. But Dr. Bancroft, in his Essay on the Natural History of Guiana, etc. (8vo. 6s. 1769), states that the expressed juice of the cassava-root, when drunk by sheep, hogs, and poultry, proves inevitably fatal to them; yet the animals thus poisoned are always eaten by the inhabitants.— The best antidotes against the virulent effects of the cassava, in its crude state, arered pepper and rum, if immediately used. Fatal as this root is in its natural condition, it is rendered perfectly innocuous, and wholesome, by fire. By halving the meal, says the last mentioned author, it is converted into nutritious food, and the poisonous juice of the root is, by both the Indians and colonists, boiled with venison, pepper, etc. by which process they prepare an 3greeable and salubrious soup.

We have enlarged upon the properties of this beneficial vegetable, became we think its general introduction into our West Indian settlements would be attended with the happiest effects ; and that it .might, by proper management, also be transplanted to the northern hemisphere. This, however, is certain, that exotics of almost every description might gradually be naturalized in colder climates, if the following particulars were strictly attended to : namely, 1. That they be placed in a soil and situation congenial to their original habit; 2. That in removing them farther northward, only the seeds and suckers of plants already accustomed to a cooler region, should be selected ; and 3. That this method of transplanting them, be regulated upon certain principles, to be derived from a careful examination of the greater or less intimate con-nection, or affinity, subsisting between vegetables of the same class, or genus. Thus, the polatoe, artichoke, vine, mulberry-tree, and many other of the most useful vegetables, have been inured to climates very remote from their origin ; and the three last mentioned are now enabled to withstand the severest winters.

As we intend, on similar occasions, to refer to this article, with regard to the method of depriving in vegetables of their poisonous juices, we shall conclude thi3 account with a few practical directions to that effect; because these will be applicable to any other tuberous and farinaceous root, as well as to seed, or fruit. Instead of grinding, or bruising such sub-stances, in the rude manner adopted by the Indians, the roots, in particular, should first be properly. peeled, and then grated upon a sieve. By moderately pressing this pulp with the hand, the juice, together with some feculent matter, will pass through; the latter will speedily subside, so that the liquor may be poured off and fermented, by which method it will proba-bly be deprived of all its poisonous qualities : should this, however, not be the case, there is no doubt, that from the expressed juice of all mealy roots (if the fermenting process be duly conducted), a very pure ardent spirit may be obtained by distillation.

The pulp which remains on the sieve, must be either repeatedly washed with cold water, or soaked in several waters, without suffering it to ferment, till the liquor comes off quite clear: all these washwashings being put together, will deposit a mealy sediment ; which, after pouring off the water, should be dried in a gentle heat; but the fibrous residuum on the sieve can be used only as fuel. Thus, the purest tapioca may be extracted from the cassava, and similar granulated masses may be obtained from European vegetables ; many of which we have already mentioned in pp. 232 and 235, of our work, under the article Bread.