150 COMMERCIAL BOTANY. 



In 1877 a considerable amount of interest was directed 

 to the fleshy corollas of the well-known Indian MAHWA 

 (Bassia latifolia). The tree, which belongs to the natural 

 order Sapotaceae, is very common in many parts of India, 

 especially in Bengal, and the flowers are produced in such 

 large quantities as to cover the ground when they fall ; they 

 are succulent and sweet, somewhat like a raisin in appear- 

 ance, but with a heavy cloying taste and smell. They are 

 largely used as an article of food, both fresh and stored for 

 winter use. In the year previously mentioned (1877) a 

 quantity of these flowers was sent to England for trial in 

 feeding cattle, as well as for distilling a spirit from them. 

 For the first they were reported upon most favourably the 

 flesh of pigs fed upon them being said to be especially good 

 while for distilling purposes they were said to have yielded 

 as much as 6-16 gallons of proof spirits per cwt., the flavour 

 of which was very similar to that of Irish whisky, though 

 by careful rectification it might be made exceedingly pure and 

 free from flavour. In India the spirit is manufactured on a 

 large scale, and it is said that recently the flowers have be- 

 come a regular article of export from Bombay to France, 

 where they are distilled, the spirit being put into French 

 bottles, labelled as French brandy, and exported again to 

 Bombay. As an article of import to this country, how- 

 ever, Mahwa flowers have not fulfilled what was anticipated 

 of them. 



