The best time for planting it is in April, but it can be
planted in March, or indeed at any time after the first of the year,
till May: though if taken up and planted before Christmas, you may
depend it will not come to any perfection. Arrowroot can be planted in
many ways; either in holes made with a hoe, ploughed under, or in
drills like Irish potatoes. Now the way I prefer is to prepare the
land, then strike the line at two feet apart, and make holes with a
pointed stick or dibble six inches apart, putting in each hole one
strong plant or two small ones, then cover them up. This is more
trouble than the old way, but it gives an excellent crop. It can also
be planted like Irish potatoes in drills, two feet apart in the rows,
and six inches between the plants. It should be hand-weeded in the
spring, because if it is hoed, most likely you will cut some of it off
which may be springing under ground, and it will never come up so
strong again. Arrowroot requires very strong ground and plenty of
manure. Farm yard manure is the best; next to that green seaweed
dripping with salt water--this is an excellent manure, and should be
dug in the ground as the arrowroot is taken up. I have no doubt that
it would be of great advantage to the planter, if he were to put a
cask in a cart, fill it with salt water, and put it on the land a few
weeks before it is planted. Some people say that arrowroot does not
pay so well, because it has to stay in the ground a whole year; but
then if you have onions you can plant them over it, and so obtain a
crop which will pay much better than the arrowroot itself. If you have
a large piece of arrowroot ground, take up one half early, and plant
it out with Irish potatoes; then take up the other half later, and
with the plants set out your potato ground, that is if you have taken
up your potatoes; if not, plant the arrowroot between the rows, in
holes; so that when you take up the potatoes, you clean the arrowroot
and loosen the ground, which will give a good crop; or you can plant
Indian corn very thin over the arrowroot ground (if you have nothing
else), but be sure to cut it up before it ripens corn, or it will
injure your arrowroot crop; or you may plant a few melon seeds over
it, and you will have a fine crop of fruit.

In 1845 I planted, in the months of January and February, a quarter of
an acre of good land, in arrowroot and onions.

The expense and profit stand as follow.--