76 On Jungle Products used as articles of food. m [No. 2, 



The rent of the trees varies much with the abundance of them in 

 the district, the quality of the previous rice crop, and various other 

 circumstances affecting the demand and supply. In parts of Hazari- 

 bagh, I have known ten small trees to be let for a rupee, while a fine 

 large one would sometimes alone bring that amount. In Manbhoom 

 I have been pointed out trees for which a sum of from two to three 

 rupees was charged, but I have also heard of trees being hired in the 

 same district for four annas. 



As do the trees, so the saved crop varies much in price, the limits 

 being, as far as I can make out, from 2 to 8 maunds for the rupee ; but 

 when, as is perhaps most frequently the case, the exchange is in kind, 

 the mahajuns only give a small quantity of salt and three or four 

 seers of rice for a mauncl of Mhowa. In parts of Manbhoom, I have 

 been told that during the famine, the price of Mhowa was from 12 

 to 20 seers for the rupee. 



Two mauncls of Mhowa are stated by some to furnish a months' food 

 to a family consisting of a father, mother and three children. It is, 

 however, seldom eaten alone, being much more frequently mixed with 

 the seeds of Sal, Shohea kobusta, Roxb. y or with some of the leaves of 

 the plants mentioned in the accompanying list which are collectively 

 called Sag. The cooking is performed as follows. The Sal seeds, 

 having been previously well dried in the sun, are roasted and then 

 boiled alone ; the Mhowa flowers are then also boiled, and the water 

 is thrown away ; so far having been cooked separately, they are then 

 mixed and re-heated, sometimes a small quantity of rice is added. It 

 is the custom to cook but once in a day, and each member of the 

 family helps himself whenever he feels hungry. 



When fresh, the Mhowa has a peculiar luscious taste with an odour 

 somewhat suggestive of mice ; when dried, it possesses some resem- 

 blance to the inferior kinds of figs. Cooking renders it vapid and 

 utterly devoid of flavour. On distillation the newly dried flowers yield 

 an highly intoxicating spirit called claru ; this, before being sold, is 

 diluted with ten times its quantity of water, and is then sold at the 

 rate of two pice for about a quart. 



Considering the really useful nature of this tree, it would be most 

 desirable that whenever new lines of road are being made through 

 any of the districts in which it thrives, it should be planted on either 



