MYSOBB AND OOORG. S27 



manufacture of ropes, brushes, brooms, and baskets, 

 &c. In bringing this product to notice, Dr. Watt 

 very naturally wishes to know if some effort could 

 not be made to develope the latent fibre industries 

 of India. That the country possesses enormous 

 material of this class goes without saying. When 

 young and middle-aged, the Bagani abounds in palm 

 wine or a sweetish sap which is palatable to the 

 taste when newly drawn, but it soon ferments, 

 when it is converted into arrack or jaggery. The 

 finest toddy is obtained from the buds of the inflore- 

 scence during the hot weather. But as the tree 

 ages, the flow of sap diminishes, and a pithy or 

 farinaceous substance is formed in the old trunk 

 which, on preparation, affords a kind of sago. In 

 regions where the tree is abundant, the natives are 

 said to utilise this food-product to a very large 

 extent, butit does not appear to be so used in Mysore. 

 " Outer wood fibrous, very dense, reddish-brown or 

 black. Used for plough-shafts, rafters, reepers, 

 wall-slabs, water-conduits, tank-pipes and rice- 

 pounders. Being conical, the base of the tree is 

 ingeniously fashioned into rice-measures, also into a 

 species of drum called Toodama, which when operat- 

 ed upon with two leather thongs, creates a most 

 deafening noise. " Graham Anderson. 



" A large tree prized chiefly on account of the 

 sweet sap or toddy which it yields in abundance. 

 The fibre obtained from the peduncle (petiole ?) is 

 made into rope and fishing lines. The tree (trunk) 

 is also used for conveying water. " Lovery. 



CtQtivation.— The seeds of this tree germinate 

 very freely after an occupation of nearly three 

 months. Steeping for a few hours in tepid or 

 camphorated water would no doubt accelerate ger- 

 mination as the outer coating of the seed is naturally 

 yerv har4' Ih virgin fof est, alluvial, and inade-up^ 



'^.''A li 



