1867.] On Junyh Products used as articles of food, 75 



to the poorer classes of the natives, more especially to such improvi- 

 dent races as the Bheels, Coles and Sonthals. 



In the districts of Manbhoom and Hazaiibagh, Mhoiva groves 

 as well as stray trees in the jungle are on the whole abundant. All 

 the trees, with the exception of a few in the neighbourhood of roads, 

 are the property of the zemindars, and are rented out by them at 

 prices varying chiefly with the bazaar nirik or price of rice. 



As the crop of Mhowa approaches ripeness, the corollas, becoming 

 fleshy and turgid with secreted juices, gradually loosen their adhesion 

 to the calyx and fall to the ground in a snowy shower. The duty of 

 collecting the fallen blossoms is chiefly performed by women and 

 children'; at dawn they may be seen leaving their villages with 

 empty baskets, and a supply of water for the day's use. 



Before the crop has commenced to fall, they take the precaution to 

 burn away the grass and leaves at the foot of the tree, so that none of 

 the blossoms may be hidden when they fall. The gleaners generally 

 remain under the trees all day, alternately sleeping and collecting the 

 crop ; the male members of the family, visiting the trees once or twice 

 during the day, bear off the produce in bamjliys. 



It often happens that the people who collect come from a consider- 

 able distance, in which case they erect with the branches of Sal a 

 temporary encampment of huts in which they live until the crop is 

 all gathered in. In front of each of these huts a piece of ground is 

 made quite smooth and hard, for the purpose of spreading out the 

 crop to dry. 



When perfectly dry, the blossoms have a reddish brown colour, and 

 in size they have lost three-fourths of their original dimensions and 

 about half their original weight. It is the custom with some of the 

 natives, before spreading them out to dry, to pull off the little ring of 

 foliaceous lobes which crowns the fleshy corolla. 



It is very difficulty to collect trustworthy statistics regarding the 

 amount of yield of the Mhowa trees. I have been told, and it has been 

 repeated to me several times, that a first class tree will yield as much 

 as thirty cutcha maunds of 12 chittacks to the seer, or about |th of a 

 ton ; in other words, an average daily fall of two maunds is said to 

 continue for 15 days. This estimate I believe is more than double 

 what it ought to be. 



