4 



14 



^^ _ » r I * 



Malaya, East Indies, Molucca Islands, Pliilippine Islands ; 

 cultivated in Malacca, Siam, Cochin China ; introduced to Jamaica 

 and to the Botanic Gardens of Lagos, Old Calabar (1907), 

 Laeken and Eala. 



A source of Palm sugar or Jaggery, said to be the oldest 

 species used by civilised man for this purpose, the sap — obtained 

 from the stem of the male inflorescence — ^in comparison with 

 that of other sugar-yielding plants is of very low acidity, and 

 when exposed to air it readily ferments. It has been found 

 that in the process of clarification heating the sap to boihng 

 point or treatment with alcohol, sterilizes the sap and precipitates 



es (Hines, Philippine Agric. Eeview, 1914, p. 225; 

 Agric. News Barbados, 1914, p. 244). Spirit or "Arrack" 

 may be distilled from the sap or " toddy," this being of importance 

 in Java, the Philippines, etc., the yield being shown to be " each 

 litre of sap containing 14 per cent, sucrose gives 70 grams of 

 absolute alcohol, provided there is perfect oxidation and no 

 loss, or about 80 cc. of 20 per cent, alcohol, namely, 28 litres for 

 each tapping " (I.e.), or when the tree flowers— at about ten years 

 old — " toddy " may be drawn at the rate of about 3 quarts 

 a day for a period of approximately two years (Kew Bull. 1912, 



im 



p. 125). 



Philipp 



200 trees is estimated to produce under modern cultural methods 



some 



hili 



where the tree is said to flourish at an altitude of about 1,800 ft. 



from 



will 



witn IbO trees, which, producing 500 lb. 



theoretically give a total production of 



80,000 lb., equal to^35 tons per acre at the end of from 15-20 years, 



2-2f tons per year (Treub (Java) U.S.' 



from 



Asric. Bureau 



Agric. News, Barbados, 1909, p. 159). 



obtained 



of the leaf stalk, used for ropes, cordage and brushes, valuable 

 for resisting wet. The young albumen preserved in syrup is 

 well known as a preserve in the Straits Settlements (Griffith. 

 Palms of B.E. India, p. 164), and when the tree dies a sago 

 is obtained from the trunk by sphtting it up, scraping out the 

 cellular portion, washing it and granulating the starch (Mus 

 Kew). 



The palm dies when the fruit is ripe or after tapping, 

 very ornamental and worth cultivating for this purpose, as 

 as for sugar and spirit. It is raised from seed, and plants in 

 permanent places require a distance apart of about 20 ft. Forty 



It is 



(Ann 



palm 



Bef.—" Arenga saccharifera ," in Med. PI., Bentley & Trime 

 No. 276, 4 pages. " The Sago Pahn of Malacca and Malaya 



