45 
mixed with lime and rapidly agitated, when the coloring deposits at the 
bottom of the vessel. 
SABAL ADANSONI.—This Biseack palm is a native of the Southern 
States. The leaves are made into fans, and the soft interior of the stem 
is edible. 
SABAL UMBRACULIFERA.—This is a West Indian paim; the leaves 
are used for various purposes, such as making mats, hats, &e. 
SACCHARUM OFFICINARUM.—The sugar-cane. Where the sugar-cane 
was first cultivated is unknown, but it is supposed to have been in the 
East Indies, for the Venetians imported it from thence by the Red Sea 
prior to the year 1148. It is supposed to have been introduced into the 
islands of Sicily, Crete, Rhodes, and Cyprus by the Saracens, as abund- 
ance of sugar was made in these islands previous to the discovery of the 
West Indies in 1492 by the Spaniards, and the East Indies and Brazil 
by the Portuguese in 1497 and 1560. [fg was cultivated afterward in 
Spain, in Valentia, Granada, and Murcia, by the Moors. In the 15th 
century it was introduced into the Canary Islands by the Spaniards, and 
to Madeira by the Portuguese, and thence to the West India Islands and 
to Brazil. The Dutch began to make sugar in the island of St. Thomas 
in 1610, and in Jamaica in 1644. Its culture has since become general 
in warm climates, and its use universal. 
SSAGUERUS SACCHARIFER.—The Arenga palm; is of great value to the 
Malays. The black horse-hair like fiber surrounding its leaf-stalks is 
made into cordage; a large amount of toddy or palm-wine is obtained 
by cutting off the flower-spikes, which, when inspissated, affords sugar, 
and, when fermented, a capital vinegar; considerable quantities of infe- 
rior Sago and several other products of minor importance are derived 
from this palm. 
SaGcus Rumputit.—This palm produces the sago of commerce, which 
is prepared from the soft inner portion of the trunk. It is obtained by 
cutting the trunk into small pieces, which are split, and the soft sub- 
stance scooped out and pounded in water till the starchy substance 
separates and settles. This is sago-meal; but before being exported it 
is made into what is termed pearl-sago. This is a Chinese process, 
principally carried on at Singapore. The meal is washed, strained, and 
spread out to dry; it is then broken up, pounded, and sifted until it is of 
a regular size. Small quanties being then placed in bags, these are 
shaken about until it becomes oranulated or pearled. 
SALVADORA PERSICA.—Is supposed to be the plant that produced the 
mustard-seed spoken of in the Scriptures. 
SANSEVIERA GUINEENSIS. —Called the African Bowstring Hemp, 
from the fibers of the leaves being used for bowstrings. 
SAPINDUS SAPONARIA.—The Soapberry tree. The fruit of this plant 
is about the size of a large gooseberry, the outer covering or shell of 
which contains a saponaceous principle in sufticient abundance to pro- 
duce a lather with water, and is used as a substitute for soap. The 
seeds are hard, black, and round, and are used for making rosaries and 
necklaces, and at one time were covered for buttons. Oil is also ex- 
tracted from the seeds, and is known as soap-oil. 
SApoTaA AcHRAS.—The fruit of this plant is known in the West 
Indies as the Sapodilla plum. It is highly esteemed by the inhabitants; 
the bark of the tree is astringent and febrifugal; the seeds are aperient 
and diuretic. . 
SAPOTA MULLERI.—The Bully or Balata tree, of British Guiana; fur- 
nishes a gum somewhat intermediate between India rubber and g eutta- 
percha, being nearly as elastic as the first, without the brittleness and 
