Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1883-01-25
The MAHWA TREE.



las are also largely employed by the
natives Of India for the same purpose,
constituting, in point Of fact, a staple,
and indeed sometimes the only article
of diet available for the very poorest
classes during some months Of the
year. The tree is not unlike our oak
in form, size and the coloring Of the
foliage; it grows from thirty to forty
feet high; flowers in the months Of
March and April: is found in nearly
every part Of Central India and is cul-
tivated in other districts, but not SO
largely as it might be, considering its
valuable properties.
The flowers ripen toward the end Of
February or beginning Of March. the
corollas becoming fleshy and tinged
with the juices they secrete. They
then gradually loosen from the calyx,
and, falling to the ground, are care
fully gathered by the natives-women
and children being chiefly employed in
this business. They start in the early
morning from their villages, carrying
baskets and a supply Of water for the
days use, to where the Mahwa trees
grow.
Just before the blossoms are ready
to fall, the grass is burnt away in a
circle from beneath the trees, in order
that none Of the precious blossoms may
be hidden by it and SO lost. The CLEAN
ers Of the Mahwa crop remain in the
neighborhood of the trees all day, col
Letting and sleeping by tllrns, and re-
turn home at night laden with spoil.
When the cleaners have come from a
long distance, they often make tenn
porary encampment Of 8, formed of
branches Of trees, and live on the
ground until they have collected all
the flowers. They never strip the trees
entirely Of blossoms; in good seasons
each tree will produce from two to
three hundred pounds Of flowers; and
a good many are allowed to remain to
seed themselves.
TIE natives clear O piece of ground
in front Of their huts, and on this
spread ont the flowers to dry in the
sun. When quite dry. they are red
dish-brown in color and have shrunk,
to about three-fourths of their ordinary
size and lose at least half their weight
The tree is a hardy one, and even in
poor ground fiourishes well. 1t could
therefore, be cultivated on land which
would not yield ordinary crops. The
trees are rented. and the rent varies
with various circumstances, snch as
their abundance in the district and the
quality IF the previous rice harvest.
Mr.. Y. Ball, Of the geological survey,
says that in the Murpa district the
prices paid for permission to collect
vary from twopence to for slliliing Is;
and from one hundred and twenty to
four hundred and eighty pounds per
rupee--two sliillings-is the price paid
for the saved crop Very often the
exchange is made in kind, in salt or
rico; the merchants then give small
quantity of salt aal six or eight
pounds Of rice for a maund-eighty
pounds-of mahwa. During the time
of the famine in Manohoom the aver
age price Of Alahwa was twenty-four
pounds for one rupee.
Two maunds Of Mahwa are said to
be enough for a months food for a
family Of five. It is not generally
eaten alone, however, but mixed with
different seeds, those Of the Shered
robusta, the sal tree; and very often
rice is added, also. When dried,
Mahwa flowers rather resemble in
ferior figs. When fresh, they have a
sweet taste, but by no means agreeable
odor. The fruit succeeds the blossom.
1t is about the size Of very small
apple, and the kernels contain oil,
which is Of an inferior color and ran
cid taste, but is very generally used by
the poorer natives for lighting pur-
poses, as well as for cooking; and it is
also applied externally as a remedy for
wounds, sores and cutaneous diseases
generally.
The freshly-dried flowers yield, On
distillation, very intoxicating sririt.
called by the natives daru. IT is usually
diluted with from five to ten times its
bulk of water and is then offered fer
sale at about q penny per quart. Its
smell, which is most offensive, cannot,
even by the most careful distillation be
wholly got rid Of. The natives, how
ever, do not seem to mind it in the
least; and even British soldiers ac-
quire a taste for the liquor il time,
though they generally hold their noses
while drinking it. Onehundredweight
Of flowers is said to yield from four to
six gallons Of proof spirit. The very
carefully distilled and reetiiied spirit is
put into oak casks. becomes Of a yel-
lowish color with keeping, and is said
to be little inferior to the best Irish
whisky.
The oil is manufae tured from the
seeds by bruising, rubbing and sub
jecting them to heavy pressure. It il
e..,,-eo snrt AZ al. -la,,f N, 4h l,a.,s...