The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-02-25
A SUGAR TREE.
Something New I'm Sugar That Is Very
Old Indeed.
from the san Francisco Chronicle.l

European sugar dealers have recently
had their attention called 10 remarkable
tree called the 'smahwa," member of the
brassia family the flowers of which are
said TO yield an extraordinarily large pro-
portion of pure sugar. This tree is ma
tive of Southern Hindostan, being occa-
sionally found in the forests of the foothills |
of the Himalavas. The flowers are very |
small. but are exceptionally abundant, and /
yield fully one-half their weight in sugar |
Indeed, they seem TO be made almost ex-
clusively of saccharine matter, enveloped
in a vegetable covering. Each tree, 1t Is
said. will produce, without attention or cul
tivation, something like ton of blossoms
annually, which is therefore the equivalent
of a half ton of sugar. The London Morn
ing Post" says that Continental sugar re-
fineries are already becoming aware Of the
immense possibilities unfOlded by the
mahwa tree, and large quantities of the
flowers are now being imported to be
worked up into refined sugar. This tree
belongs TO a tribe of plants, all of which
yield sugar, as well "a an oil adapted for
food and burning.
A yield of a half-ton of sugar to each tree
undoubtedly will stagger the credulity of
those not acquainted with the possibilities
of the mahwa, but there is said to be good
authority for the statement that inferior
specimens of this tree, growing in dense
forest and deprived in large measure of the
SUMS rays, have produced 500 and COO
pounds each of the saccharine blossoms.
The tree needs no special culture or atten-
ton, no pruning or fertilizing, is easily
propagated and fourishes in the poorest
soil.
The mahwa grows to a height of about
forty feet, and while this may seem to be
drawback in gathering the flowers, such is
not the fact, since, when maturity is at
tanned, the tree sheds its flowers spOntane-
ously during the night, and all that is nee
essary is to gather them up in the morn
ing. The flowers have been almost entirely
used hitherto in the manufacture of spirits
and as food by the natives, and the extent
to which this is carried may be seen from
the fact that a few stills at Bombay de-
voted to this purpose pay an annual tax OF
/ ESQ, 900 to the English Government. Be
| sides the flowers, the mahwa yields a
pleasant-tasting fruit and very valuable
| oil is extracted from its seeds, which are
very abundant.
The London post" which is the author
| ity for this statement of the remarkable
properties of this little-knOwn tree, is OF
the opinion that if the mahwa flowers can
be obtained in sufficient quantity for the
sugar refneries of Europe, there can be no
! question that the days of the beet root are
over. while it will only be question Of
time when even sugar-cane will be dis
! carded. No sugar plantation could for 6
moment compete with a product which
yielded so per cent of pure sugar with sc
little labor The West India sugar planta
tons at their best do not yield more thar
two and a half or three tons of sugar PEE
/ acre. Five or six mahwa trees would
yield as much sugar as an acre of cane
and as an acre of land could sustain from
200 to $50 trees, they would at maturity
produce enough blossoms to yield 100 t
120 tons of sugar. 1t is thus apparent tina
should this estimate not be realized b,
more than one-quarter, still competition
from either cane or beet roots would b
out of the question. What the extent o
the growth of the mahwa tree i
in India is not given, though it
not apparent that any effort has beer
made TO more than utilize thos
found in their natural state. Certainly,
there are any such possibilities in the mat
ter, it would be well worth while to make
systematic attempt at the propagation c
this wonderful tree. There is no good ref
son either why tree that will grow in tn
climate of the Himalaya mountains shout
not grow in some parts of California.
would be well worth the while of some {
the residents in the thermal belt of tn
State, where frosts,- are comparatively I'll
: known, to experiment, if possible, wit
this tree. 1t is not at all improbable tn;
thereby most valuable addition might
: made to the resources of the Coast.