AmjJnenif95.arm'}     Sago  Cultivation  in  North  Borneo.  333 
on  the  spot  by  Mr.  J.  G.  G.  Wheatley,  is  reproduced  for  general 
information. 
A  REPORT  ON  SAGO  CULTIVATION  IN  PROVINCE  DENT. 
The  sago  palm,  from  which  is  manufactured  the  well-known  sago 
flour  of  commerce,  resembles  in  appearance  the  cocoanut  tree. 
The  former  is  valued  for  its  trunk  alone,  the  nuts  are  useless,  and 
the  tree  dies  if  allowed  to  fruit. 
VARIETIES  OF  SAGO  PALM. 
(1)  There  are  only  two  kinds  of  sago  palm  which  are  cultivated, 
the  "  rumbia  benar  "  (true  sago),  and  the  "  rumbia  berduri  "  (the 
thorny  sago),  also  known  as  "  rumbia  salak."  In  appearance  both 
are  the  same,  but  on  close  inspection  the  stems  of  the  latter,  to 
which  the  leaves  are  attached,  known  as  "  pallapa,"  will  be  found  to 
be  covered  with  bunches  of  thorns  about  1  x/2  to  3  inches  long. 
MODE  OF  PLANTING. 
(2)  Sago  grows  chiefly  on  damp  ground,  subject  to  floods  at  cer 
tain  times  of  the  year.  If  grown  in  swamps,  less  sago  is  produced, 
and  the  trunks  do  not  attain  as  great  a  height  as  when  planted  on 
clayey  damp  soil  subject  to  floods  periodically.  Once  planted,  the 
tree  withstands  floods  and  brackish  water,  but  in  the  latter  it  does 
not  grow  as  fast  and  the  trunks  are  small.  Sago  is  planted  chiefly 
by  suckers  sent  out  by  the  parent  tree,  which  are  carefully  cut  off 
under  ground.  In  swampy  ground  the  shoots  are  planted  out  at 
once,  but  in  other  localities  the  shoots  are  tied  together  in  bundles 
and  placed  in  wet,  muddy  ground  until  they  have  begun  to  send 
out  roots,  when  they  are  planted  out  in  holes  12  inches  deep,  1  foot 
in  diameter,  and  4  to  6  fathoms  apart.  No  earth  is  placed  about  the 
roots,  but  the  plants  are  supported  in  an  upright  position  by  two 
sticks  fixed  on  either  side.  The  earth  gradually  fills  the  holes  dur- 
ing rains  and  floods.  One  man  with  an  assistant  can  plant  300 
plants  a  day.  After  this,  further  attention  is  generally  unnecessary 
for  a  year,  and  in  some  cases  two  years,  when  the  jungle  growth  is 
cleared  around  the  growing  tree.  Some  planters  regularly  clear 
around  the  roots  and  cut  away  suckers  if  they  are  too  abundant. 
Rumbia  berduri  is  preferred  to  the  rumbia  benar,  chiefly  because 
the  wild  pigs  do  not  attempt  to  destroy  young  plants,  on  account  of 
the  thorns.  In  planting  rumbia  benar,  fences  have  to  be  made  to 
keep  out  the  pigs,  which  are  very  destructive.    Rumbia  berduri  is 
