THE ALCOHOL INDUSTRY. PART I. 



173 



edge, but it has been suggested to me by Dr. E. B. Copeland, of the 

 College of Agriculture, that if it were practicable the duration of sap 

 flow from this palm might be extended over a period of years. More- 

 over, since it is probable that the time of flowering is determined, to 

 some extent at least, by the accumulation of starch, the sap flow will 

 so reduce the stores of starch that the flowering may be greatly postponed 

 and the life of the tree prolonged. 



The natives of Tayabas have a superstition that the tree will burst if a woman 

 touches or interferes with it in any way while the sap is flowing. I oflfered the 

 wife of the man who cut the tree under my supervision 10 pesos if she would 

 ascend the bamboo ladder reaching to the top of the tree so that I could see 

 the phenomenon. She refused the monej% which to her was a large sum, and her 

 husband explained to me that the tree might not burst to-day if she went up 

 the ladder, but it would to-morrow or the next day. 



COMPOSITION OF THE SAP. 



Samples of sap were obtained by me from time to time from five 

 different buri palms, and analyzed. The first three trees were growing 

 within 300 meters of each other under the influence of equal climatic 

 and soil conditions in Marilao, Province of Bulacan. They were tapped 

 by the natives according to the fii'st method, when the tree was in 

 flower, and according to the owners all the trees were about 30 years 

 old. The sap flowed during the following periods : 



Tree 

 No. 



Flow commenced. 



Flow ceased. 



Duration of 

 sap flow. 



1 

 2 

 3 



February 1,1910 



December 1, 1909 . 



May 15. 



3. 5 months. 

 4. 5 months. 

 No record. 



April 11,1910 



March 27, 1910 ... .. 







These three trees were not tapped under my supervision, but were 

 found in a flowing condition. The natives who o^\^led and tapped them 

 gave me the dates for the beginning of the flow and therefore they are 

 to be taken only as approximate. Sap was collected at intervals for 

 analysis from trees numbered 1 and 2, until the flow ceased. 



The fourth tree was about 12 years old and was tapped, according 

 to the second method, under my direct observation. The top was cut 

 on April 5. Three days later, on April 8, the sap flow commenced and 

 continued until May 30, at which time the tree died. The duration of 

 the sap flow was therefore not quite two months. 



The fifth tree, at Bokawe, Bulacan, was more fully investigated than 

 any of the others and forms the subject of a separate section. Accurate 

 studies of the daily yield of sap, the total yield, the manufacture of 

 sugar, and some other questions of interest were included in this in- 

 vestigation. 



The analytic and other data concerning the first four trees are tabu- 

 lated as follows ; 



