The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-12-23
A Useful Tree.

One of the noblest and most valued
trees Of the forests of Northern and Gen.
trail India is the mahaoah (cassia lattfolia),
species of the locust. Its straight shaft,
reaching at maturity enormous dimen-
sions, sends out symmetrical branches at
regular intervals, which are thickly COW
cred with dark green pinnate leaves that
form dense shade. Near the close of
February the tree suddenly casts its en-
tire burden of foliage to the ground, and
is left with bOughs as bare as those that
rustic in the winds of Northern winter.
The fallen leaves are carefully gathered
by the natives, who use them for bedding,
roofing, head-ceverings and various other
purposes.
But The mahwah does not long remain
destitute of ornament. Within few days
after shedding its leaves its branches ap-
pear hung from every point with clusters
of pale-yellow flowers that have the form
less Of blossoms than of fruit. The outer
petal of the papillonaceous flower devel-
ops into tleshy berry as large as grape,
which, when matured, drops from the
clear the ground under the tree in expec-
tation of its fall. For several days the
ripened petals descend in showers, &C.
cumulating each day in a thick lay
er. 1t is estimated that single tree will
yield twenty-five pounds weight of the
flowers, which are prudently collected by
the natives.
When fresh, these pulpy, fruit-like flow
ers have a sweet and agreeable favor, &C.
companied by musky, repulsive odor.
In this state vast quantities are consumed
by the Indians. They are also manutact-
ured into cakes and variety of nourish-
ing dishes, and, by fermentation, arc made
into q wine that is pleasant beverage
when new, but soon becomes unfit for
drink. BY distillation an excellent bran
dy is made from the flowers, which is
said to acquire with age the best qualities
of Scotch whisky. But the greater por-
ton of the crop is dried on osier screens,
in which process the flowers lose their
disagreeable odor. After drying they are
made up into loaves or are reduced to
-four.
AS soon as the mahwah has tossed off
| its garlands of flowers it sends forth q
multitude of leaf-buds, which rapidly ex-
pand and clOthe the tree in green again.
| In April the true fruit, which is very
similar to the almond in size and shape,
comes to perfection. The outer, violet
| tinted envelope surrounds smooth, hard
shell, which incloses nut Of a delicate,
bland, oily flavor. This fruit is much
priced by the Indians, who make it into
cakes and pastes, and express from it an
excellent oil, while the refuse is used for
fattening buffaloes. The oil of the NAH
wah-nu is in great demand in Bombay,
and promises to become an important ar
ticle of commerce. In addition to the
products already enumerated the mahwah
yields from its bark a strong fiber that Is
used for making ropes, and its wood
easily cut, though irregular in grain, is in
valuable for building purposes, as it re.
sists the attacks of the termiles, or white
ants. In the Vindhyan and Arvalis
Mountains of Hindostan this most serv
iceable tree is worshiped as a divinity
The Grounds, Bheels, Mhairs and Minas
half-civllized tribes inhabiting these dis.
tricts, depend for their living upon it.
Says NJ. Rousselet: "They hold theil
meetings beneath its shade, and under i
they celebrate all the important events O
life. On its branches they suspend theil
rude votive otferings-lance-heads OF
plowshares; and around its roots they
spread those mysterious circles of stones
which supply the place of idols to them
They will fight, therefore, with the energy
of despair in defense of their mahwahs
and, where the mahwahs disappear, tn
Bheel and the Ghound are seen no more
This precious tree is occasionally planted
and cultivated in the plain, but it grow
naturally in the mountains.''