The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-02-04
now Sage Is Obtained.

1HE Island of Ceram. situated Just
west OF New Guinea, is one of the most
interesting places in the Eastern Archi-
pelago. II abounds in schools, and Euro
rean missionaries have long ago planted
the teachings of Christianity in the minds
of the people.
0eram supplies nearly all the neigh.
boring Islands with daily bread, and this
iact j. something remarkable when we
take INTO consideration the inferior size
OF the former. This proliicness lies, of
course, "a the superiority of the soil
ne sage tree Is a species Of palm,
much larger in bulk than the cocoa tree,
but inferior TO the latter in height. Its
trunk is densely covered with prinate
spiny leaves. When the tree is about
fourteen years old it shoots forth an i'm
mense spike OF flowers and then dies
nc sage tree thriyes best in swamps, or
ID low lands, and is very rarely found on
the rocky slopes of hills
Food Is not the eniy valuable product
OF this tree The wood especiaIly the
mid ribs of the large leaves, is used for
various purposes. Houses are built of
It; nails and pegs are made from the
tougher portions; ropes and cables CON
sumo the other parts, while the inner
product OF the trunk is the staple nour-
lshment Of nearly million Of human
beings.
The reader will now imagine a full
grown tree nearly ready to flower cut
down 10 the earth. The natives are BUSH
~ engaged IN tearing away the stalks ::
and, this task having been Accomplished
stout workman, by means of a sharp
iron tooth removes broad strip of the
bark from the upper side of the trunk.
rms operation exposes to view soft,
bbrous plth, which, the higher it ascends
the tree, cnanges-frOm dark, rusty color
10 cream white. 1t is from this pith
mat the sago OF commerce is produced
The next step is TO break this pith into
coarse powder. For this purpose the
natives make use of club, large in
size and made of the heaviest wood that
can be found, in the blunt end of which
: sharp piece Of rock projecting about
half an inch. This instrument is termed
the crusher." By pounding forcibly
with 1t the PARTICLES of massed sage are
separated from the fibers and fall down
INTO the trough formed by the bark The
powder is then scraped into baskets and
carried away TO the nearest water to be
washed.
The washing machine Is a very singu-
lar continuance though of remarkable
simplicity in its construction. The body
Of the machine is made wholly OF the
bases OF the sage leaves covered with the
leai-stalks OF the same tree The leaf
HDcrs Of The cocoa serve as the straiper.
The powdered pith is empticd into the
trough and water Is poured upon il. The
mass IS then knCaded aud worked against
the strainer until the starch elements
have all dissolved and passed through.
The nndissol~od particles are thrown
away and their place supplied by fresh
basketfuls of pulp.
The reader must bear in mind that the
starch, being much heavier than the
water, does not pass off with it; but af
ter leaving the strainer the solution
courses gradually along the trough
which IS gently inclined and has de-
preston IN the center--and deposits the
starch or sediment, while only the water
escapes and loses itself in the soil under
meath.
When this sediment has reached the
helght OF the trough it is taken out and
rolled into cylinders of about thirty
pounds weight each, and is covered with
young sage leaves. The color of this
rich mass is a slight carmine, and in this
state II is known as "raw sage" and ex-
ported TO other lands
Every one knows that sago is brought
to this country and is consumed in large
quantities. But the question viii arise,
perhaps: 10 what rses do the natives
OF Geram and of other surrounding
islands subject this strange product?
You would best learn the answer to
this question by spend ne a week in
their houses. For brea lfast thew will
give you boiled sago This mass is glu-
tinous and has a string taste, and is al
ways to be eaten with lines, = little salt,
ana some chile sauce. / do not com
mend this dish to epicures
Al all times they will set before you
sage bread, and this, | may truly say, is
the best bread in the world, and most ex
cellent for people who are in poor health
| imagine that the lady readers of Hearth
aud Home are good housekeepers and are
always on the lookout for choice recipes
l snail not hesitate, therefore, to give
them genuine Ceram recipe, and would
ask them TO try IT.:
hnead sago finely powdered and well
siited III equal quantities of milk and
water-or all milk if you choose-and
add enough salt to impart to it a fine
SAVIOR. Form the mass into cakes or bis
cults OF about the size of a bakers snap.
Have your oven well heated and test il
by sprlnkhng sage powder on the bot
tom OF the oven. If the powder browns
at once the oven is too hot; but if the
powder browns gradually and emits a
delicious flavor ii is Just what is needed
Lay the cakes on the bottom of the oven
do not, ! say, make use of a baking
finland allow them to remain about five
minutes. When done" serve the cakes
hot with butter and sugar.
If possible il is best 10 obtain the raw
sage inr this purpose, because it possesses
characteristic flavor which is almost
entirely lost in the so-called refined"
sage done over in America.
know of a certain housewife who has
tried The foregoing experiment with re-
markable success, and now one of the
delleacies at her morning table is sage
biscuits
Sage biscuit is an admirable substitute
for sailors bread. If the former is not
required for immediate use, they can be
Grled in the sun and laid away, and will
preserve their good qualities unimpaired
Tor fully twenty years! At the expira-
tion OF this time they require only to be
dipped in water and toasted in order to
be as relishable as ever. Many an ad
venturous traveller in tne far East owes
his life and comfort to the precaution
which he took by supplying himself with
dried sage biscuit
Although | have described the process
OF sage manufacture infinitely, the
reader will gain but q small idea of the
extraordinary sight To behold a man.
moth tree felled, stripped, pounded and
converted into food by hand labor alone
Is certainly marvellous. Still this in
dustry is great and growing one in the
island, and upon the result depends the
vital existence of many different people
in the archipelago.
shall here add few statistics of gen.
eral interest. An average-sized tree will
yield about 900 pounds of food. One
pound of sage suilices to make three
loavcs and five of these loaves make
fun days allowance for Woodworking
man. In other words, 800 loaves-very
small in size, of course-will answer for
a years rations-all the product of a tree
yielding not more than 600 pounds.
The labor required TO produce this
amount is very moderate. Two men will
finish a tree in five days, and in five DAYS
more two men viii have baked the sago
into loaves. Thus in about ten DAYS
enough food to last through the whole
year may be obtained and produced.
The entire cost of the food of a Ceramic
for this length of time need not exceed
fifteen or twenty dollarsi- Geo. L. dustin.
an Hearth and Home
The Grand Duke Alexis Visits His
Wife. |