542 Coco-nuts The Consols of the East 



is a month old. the flower-bud is considered 

 sufficiently juicy to yield a fair return. When 

 ready for tapping, it (the spathe) is 2 ft. long 

 and 3 in. thick. It is tightly bound with 

 strips of young leaves to prevent expan- 

 sion, and the point is cut off transversely to 

 the extent of i in. The toddy-drawer then 

 gently hammers the cut end of the spathe to 

 crush the flowers exposed, and to determine 

 the sap to the wounded part, that the juice 

 may flow freely. The stump is then bound up 

 with a broad strip of fibre. This process is 

 repeated, morning and evening, for a number 

 of days, a thin layer being shaved off on each 

 occasion and the spathe at the same time 

 trained to bend downwards. The time re- 

 quired for this initiatory process varies from 

 five to fifteen days in different places. The 

 time when the spathe is ready to yield toddy 

 is correctly ascertained by the chattering of 

 birds, the crowding of insects, the dropping 

 of juice, and other signs unmistakable to the 

 toddy-drawer. When the juice begins to flow, 

 the hammering is discontinued. A single 

 spathe will continue to yield toddy for about 

 a month, during which time the collector 

 mounts the tree twice a day, and empties the 

 receptacle." 



Molisch in Java, reports Gibbs, gained the 

 best results by following the Javanese method, 

 and binding the spathe as illustrated. 



In the morning and evening, a thin slice 



